Hoping for Love
by Demigod18
Summary: For years, the Schreave family has found true love through the Selection. It is time for Prince Logan, son of Erik and Eadlyn, to have his own Selection. Although his parents and grandparents have found love, the Prince is not so sure his Selection will work out for him. Will he find his true love? All he can do is hope for love. SYOC closed.
1. Chapter 1

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Logan's POV**

 **I do not own the Selection**

I never expected to have a Selection.

The day started off normally. I was woken up at 6 am by my sister Belle jumping on my bed. I ate my large breakfast of pancakes and eggs with my family, and headed off to lessons with Olivia.

My siblings and I were in the middle of a lesson about planning parties when a maid entered the room.

"Excuse me, your highnesses, but King Erik and Queen Eadlyn have requested Prince Logan's presence in the King's office," the maid said shyly as she curtsied.

"Thank you," I replied, standing up slowly. "You may be dismissed." The maid curtsied again and scurried out of the room.

I thanked my lucky stars that I could miss the rest of lessons, and left the room under Olivia's annoyed face and my sibling's jealous glares. I took the long walk to my dad's office and opened the door to find my mom and dad sitting behind the desk, looking very nervous.

"Hi guys, what did you want to see me for?" I asked.

"Uh, well, as you know, the rebel activity in the country has been worse than normal, ever since the caste system has been put back into place," Mom started. The caste system had been put back into place until the monarchy could figure out a way to calm down the country and solve the problem of rebels.

I nodded, "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, we need something to calm down the public, and we believe that something could be a Selection."

I was shocked. My mom had told me how much she didn't want to have one at first, so I never expected her to tell me I should have one.

"You're kidding right? You can't possibly want me to have a Selection!" I yelled in outrage.

"It's time for you to find a wife anyways, why not find one through the Selection?" Dad asked calmly.

"Because it's the Selection! How can you possibly expect me to find love from 35 random girls?" I asked, still angry.

"Well your mother and I found true love. Look how happy we are. And look at your grandparents, if that's not true love, I don't know what is."

Although I didn't want to admit it, my father had a good point. But I still didn't want to have a Selection. "You weren't even in the Selection," I pointed out to my father. "And Grandma and Grandpa probably just got lucky."

"I'll make the same deal with you that I made with my father," Mom cut in. "Try it for three months, and if you don't like it, we can call the Selection off."

I considered the deal. Even though I really didn't want a Selection, my parents really needed my help.

"Ok fine," I sighed. "I'll do it, but just for three months. Only because you guys need help."

"Thank you so much son," my father said thankfully as my mother hugged me.

Although I didn't like this idea, I knew I had to give it a try. "You're welcome," I got up and left the room, walking back to the lessons room as slowly as I possibly could. When I arrived, Olivia was just packing up her bag and leaving the room. I saw my siblings sigh in relief.

"Hey guys," I entered the room and sat on the arm of a couch.

"Hi Logan, what did Mom and Dad want?" My sister Savannah asked.

"They want me to have a Selection," I stated calmly. My five siblings gasped at the same time. Even Belle, who was only 8, knew that this was a surprise.

"Are you kidding?" Wyatt asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Unfortunately, no," I replied, running my fingers through my chocolate brown hair. "Apparently they need something to calm down the country."

"Have fun," my older sister Jessica said sarcastically.

"Thanks," I rolled my eyes at her.

"We should get going, the party is going to start in a couple hours." Savannah said.

"What party?" Wyatt and I asked simultaneously.

Savannah rolled her eyes. "How could you not remember? The Swendish are visiting the palace tonight and Mom and Dad have a party planned."

"Oh, that party," Wyatt said.

"Is Colin going to be here?" I asked. Colin was my best friend, and we have known each other since we were born.

"Of course he's going to be here, he's part of the royal family" Savannah said. We all went up to our rooms to get ready for the party.

My maids put me in another uncomfortable black suit and tie, and I walked downstairs to find Savannah walking towards the ballroom.

"Savannah! Wait up!" I cried as I sprinted towards her. I had to admit, she looked beautiful. Her long strawberry blonde hair was french braided down her back, and she wore a silver bracelet with matching earrings and a necklace. Her dress was strapless and light green, falling to the floor. The bottom of the dress was made of tulle.

"You look nice," Savannah said.

"So do you," I replied, giving her a smile.

"Thanks," she said. We entered the ballroom to find people laughing and dancing. There were a few people who were drunk already. Colorful flowers lined the ballroom. I spotted Colin and his sister Katherine by the snack bar. Savannah and I immediately headed their way.

"Hey guys," I said cheerfully, glad to get my mind off the Selection.

"Hey man," Colin responded. "Excited for the Selection?"

News really spread like wildfire among the palace. "Not really, my parents are making me do this to calm down the country."

"Oh, that sucks," Colin said.

"Yeah," I replied glumly.

The rest of our siblings joined us, as well as Colin's. After we mingled with the guests for a while, we played games all night, until the party was over. Luckily, the Swendish royal family would be staying at the palace for a while, to watch my Selection.

Before I went up to my room, my mom came up to me. "Logan, tomorrow will be a busy day. We have to prepare the rooms for the Selected, choose meals, and send out forms."

I groaned internally. "Okay mom, sounds good."

"Ok, Goodnight," she said. I could tell by the look on her face that she felt sorry for me.

"Goodnight Mom," I forced a smile and trudged back up the stairs to my room. I tossed and turned all night, and I didn't fall asleep until 3 in the morning.

 **Hey guys! This is my first story. Hope you like it.**

 **Here is the Illéan royal family:**

 **King- Erik Schreave**

 **Queen- Eadlyn Schreave**

 **Princess Jessica Schreave- 24. Short, with brown hair and blue eyes. She is engaged to the Swendish heir.**

 **Prince Logan Schreave- 19. Heir to the crown. Tall, with brown hair and blue eyes.**

 **Princess Savannah Schreave- 16. Prince Wyatt's twin sister (she is the older twin). Average height, with strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes.**

 **Prince Wyatt Schreave-16. Princess Savannah's twin sister. Average height, with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.**

 **Prince Aaron Schreave- 11. Short, with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.**

 **Princess Isabelle (Belle) Schreave- 8. Average height, with brown hair and brown eyes.**

 **Here is the Swendish royal family:**

 **King- Christopher Adamson**

 **Queen- Lauren Adamson**

 **Prince Julian Adamson-25- engaged to Princess Jessica Schreave**

 **Prince Colin Adamson-19**

 **Princess Katherine Adamson-16**

 **Prince Chase Adamson-11**

 **SYOC's:**

 **-Please PM me the character. I will look at ones in the review section, but I am more likely to choose ones people have PM'ed me because I might need to contact them.**

 **-I might have to change the province if someone has already chosen it**

 **-There is no limit to how many characters you can submit**

 **Form:**

 **Name (First, Middle, Last):**

 **Nickname (Optional):**

 **Age:**

 **Birthday (No year):**

 **Province:**

 **Caste:**

 **Occupation:**

 **Height:**

 **Weight:**

 **Skin Tone:**

 **Eyes:**

 **Hair:**

 **Appearance Summary:**

 **Face Claim (Optional):**

 **What they wore before the Selection (hair, makeup, jewelry, clothes-feel free to put up links):**

 **What they wear during Selection (hair, makeup, jewelry, clothes-feel free to put up links):**

 **Makeover (hair, makeup, clothes):**

 **Signature Scent:**

 **Personality:**

 **Hobbies/Passions:**

 **Quirks:**

 **Fears (optional):**

 **Languages Spoken:**

 **Family (Name, age, job, appearance, personality, relationship with character):**

 **Friends (Name, age, job, appearance, personality, relationship with character):**

 **History/Background (doesn't have to be long):**

 **First Date (ideas):**

 **Maids (name, age, personality, appearance, relationship with character-must be three of them):**

 **How they treat maids/staff:**

 **How they treat the Selected:**

 **How they treat the royal family:**

 **Thoughts on King Erik (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Queen Eadlyn (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Princess Jessica (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Prince Logan (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Princess Savannah (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Prince Wyatt (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Prince Aaron (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts on Princess Belle (doesn't have to be long):**

 **Reason for entering:**

 **Romantic history:**

 **What would their friends in the Selection be like?:**

 **Anything Else:**

 **Have fun!**

 **~Demigod18**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Logan's POV**

 **I do not own the Selection**

After only three hours of sleep, Mom came into my room and shook me awake. "Logan, it's time to get up. We have to help with the preparations for the Selection."

"Ugh," I groaned, still half asleep. I slowly climbed out of my comfortable bed and stepped into the bathroom. The cold water shocked me awake instantly. I put on some comfortable clothes and walked downstairs for breakfast. The rest of my family was already downstairs, eating their waffles contentedly.

"Hi Logan," Aaron smiled his crooked grin at me from his chair.

"Hi Aaron," I smiled back at my adorable younger brother.

"Logan, we will be tasting food for the arrival of the Selected this morning," Mom smiled cheerfully.

"Good Luck," Wyatt mouthed to me as he left the room with my siblings and my father.

"Bye Logan," Belle raced out of the room, with Aaron close behind. Savannah and Jessica walked out of the room, probably to go to another lesson. Dad kissed Mom on the cheek, smiled sympathetically at me, and followed my siblings.

A chef in a white uniform and red apron came out of the kitchen and bowed. "Your Highness, Your Majesty," the chef greeted and bowed again and nodded towards us. "The other chefs and I have prepared several meals for you to taste. How many courses will be served."

"I think 8 should do just fine," Mom replied happily. I didn't even bother to suppress my groan. An 8 course meal could take at least 6 hours! Mom shot me a warning look. I instantly sat up and smiled politely at the chef, who quickly disappeared into the kitchen to bring out the first meal.

The chef brought out every food imaginable. All this food could feed an entire province for a month! I couldn't even begin to describe what I had to go through. Luckily, my mom made most of the choices for me.

9 hours and an overstuffed stomach later, Mom and I were seated in one of the meeting rooms while the musicians played us several different pieces to choose for the dinner on the first night the Selected arrived. I had a massive stomachache, so I wasn't all too happy to sit in a room and listen to music for two hours.

The following morning, and the day of the Report, Mom woke me up early again. I skipped breakfast, as I was still full from the night before. I was dragged to a meeting room once again, and a decorator was asking me about my preferences for the Selected rooms.

"Your Highness, these are the different options to paint the room. The furniture can be white or black." The decorator laid out thousands of paint samples on the long table in front of me. I decided to choose the furniture color first.

"I think I will go with white for the furniture." I said to the decorator, who nodded and wrote something down on his notepad. I stared at the colors in front of me. I wanted to make this process as fast as possible, so I could maybe go out for a swim. I held up a nice turquoise color.

"I think this should do," I said to the decorator, hoping I was done.

"Now, what type of bedding should we order?" The decorator held out about ten options of fabric in front of me.

I picked the softest one and held it up. "This should be just fine."

"Which pillows should we order?" The decorator placed several pillows on the table, and I knew I wouldn't get a break for a while.

Luckily, the Report saved me from picking out the chandelier that would be placed in the girls' bathrooms. I was dressed in a suit (once again) and I headed down to the Report room.

Gavril welcomed me as I walked over to my family. Dad was wearing a grey suit and purple tie that matched Mom's floor length evening gown. Jessica was wearing a slightly revealing red dress and lots of gold jewelry. Savannah was in a ocean colored dress that fell just past her knees. Wyatt was wearing a black suit and tie, just like me. Aaron was in a blue suit and tie. Belle was in a bright yellow dress, and she reminded me of a princess in an old movie that Grandma had, which was ironic, since both my sister and the princess were named Belle.

A worker called signaled the countdown with his fingers, and the camera light flashed on. Mom and Dad made a few announcements about the country and the rebel attacks, and it was time for Gavril and I to introduce the Selection.

"Before we conclude our program," Gavril started, "We have some exciting news. Prince Logan, our future King will deliver it for you. Why don't you tell us what will be happening, Your Highness." Gavril looked towards me, and I forced a smile.

"As most of you know, I have recently turned 19. It is time for me to find a wife and a queen who will help me rule to wonderful country of Illéa in the future. I believe there is no better way to do this than to have a Selection." I could see my parents smiling in the background.

"Tomorrow, letters will be sent to all eligible candidates. You will have two weeks to decide if you want to compete and fill out your form. The Selected will be picked at random and read on the Report. I'm hoping that through this Selection, I will find a great queen for this country and a great wife." With that I bowed and returned to my seat. Everyone applauded me as I sat back down. I could see my parents beaming proudly at me.

Now I knew there was no turning back, I was stuck having to go through with a Selection.

 **Thanks to** Thedaffodilqueen **,** EvieLeeT **,** SkaterGirl **, and** Wild Leapord123 **for submitting characters, and thanks to** cloudy5 **for reviewing.**

 **If you have any ideas for the story, feel free to review or PM me.**

 **~Demigod18**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 3**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Almeda Mapiya Begay, 4, Yukon

I dusted off my soil covered jeans and took off my gardening gloves as I took the long walk home. I had just finished planting the garden of a two, and I was proud of my work. I couldn't wait for spring so I could see the flowers bloom. I opened the door to our small house and found Akshótha cooking vegetable soup on the stove we had recently bought. Ken was at the table playing cards with Rakeni. Even though Rakeni meant father, my grandfather was the closest thing to a father I ever had.

"Hey Cottonhead," Ken called out from the table. I rolled my eyes at the nickname I hated. Just because my name meant "the grove of cottonwood" didn't mean he could call me cottonhead.

"Hello Mapiya," Akshótha smiled warmly at me. I prefered my grandmother's nickname, which meant "beautiful". I returned her smile and sat down next to Rakeni.

"Hello, Meda," Rakeni greeted.

"Hello," I returned everyone's greeting and kissed Rakeni on the cheek.

"How are you feeling?" I looked at Rakeni.

"Couldn't be better," Rakeni said, but I knew it wasn't true. Rakeni was getting old, and his health was rapidly declining. We all knew (besides Ken) that he wouldn't live much longer. Unfortunately, as seven's, we didn't have the money to help him recover.

"You received a letter today," Akshótha turned off the stove and sat across from me. She pulled something out from her apron pocket and set it down in front of me.

The envelope was crisp and white, with a fancy red seal that had the palace logo on it.

"What is this for?" I asked, very confused.

"I'm not sure," Akshótha replied. "We were waiting for you to come home before we opened it."

I examined the envelope for a little while before Ken cut in. "Open it!"

"Ok, ok," I replied and slowly peeled off the seal. I opened the flap and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"To the House of Begay," I began, still confused as to what this letter was about. "The recent consensus has confirmed that a woman between the ages of sixteen and twenty resides in your home. We would like to make you aware of a great opportunity to honor the great nation of Illéa." i paused and looked around the table. All eyes were trained on me, and my family was listening intently to every word I read. "Our beloved Prince, Logan Schreave has come of age two months ago. As he ventures forth into this new part of his life, he hopes to move forward with a partner, to marry a true Daughter of Illéa."

I suddenly realized what this was for. Akshótha had told me about Queen Eadlyn's Selection when my mother was a little girl.

"This is for the Selection," I told my family. My grandmother's face lit up with a smile.

"You must enter!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know," I said. I didn't really want to leave my family, and compete for the heart of a Prince I didn't even know. Besides, the chance of me being Selected was very low. I was a seven after all.

"Come on Cottonhead, you should enter. You could go to the palace!" Ken said excitedly. I thought about what he said. I imagined myself in a fancy dress, talking to the royal family. The garden would probably be beautiful too. I could imagine roses, carnations, daisies, sunflowers…

Akshótha's voice brought me back to reality. "What do you think?"

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"Ayyo, get the cotton out of your ears, Mapiya," Akshótha scolded me. "What I said was, the money would be very helpful for our family."

"Posala, let the girl do what she wants," Rakeni said to Akshótha. I thought about what my grandmother said. The money would be very helpful. Maybe it would help Rakeni get better.

"Ok, I'll do it," I decided. Ken and Akshótha smiled and Rakeni reached over and hugged me.

The following morning, I was just walking to the kitchen to fill out the form when I heard a knock at the door.

"Roden!" I said, happy to see my best friend. Roden and I were almost complete opposites, but we got along well.

"Hey Meda, did you get the form yet?"

"Yeah, I was just about to fill it out."

"Let's fill it out together," she said. We sat at the table in the kitchen and started filling out our forms as Roden told me about another one of her mischevious tales. We were soon finished and we put them back in an envelope.

"Akshótha, we're going to deliver our forms!" I called out to my grandmother as Roden and I left the house. We laughed and talked the whole way to the post office, where there was a line of girls down the block.

"This should be fun," Roden remarked sarcastically as we tried to find the end of the long line.

Two hours later, it was finally our turn to deliver our forms. We placed our forms on a precariously balanced stack of envelopes and moved to the next room to get our pictures taken. Roden was quickly done and stood off to the side as I sat on the stool.

"Chin up a little, and sit up a little taller," the photographer said to me. I did as he said and flashed the camera a smile. The camera flashed and I got up and joined Roden. I really hoped I would be selected.

Autumn Kanley Khuu, 5, Fennley

I played the last few notes of Canon in D by Pachelbel and held out a chord. I took my fingers off of the pristine white keys. I smiled brightly as everyone clapped. I got up from the bench of the beautiful piano and bowed. The applause got louder and eventually died down. I started the walk home, still in a great mood.

"Hi Fall," Mr. Jacobson from the convenience store waved at me.

"Hi Mr. Jacobs, how are you?" I smiled at him.

"I'm doing great, thank you." I knew almost everyone in town, so it didn't take long to run into someone else I knew.

"Hi Mrs. Edmonds," I said.

"Hello dear," the elderly lady smiled at me.

"Hey Fall," Max, one of my old schoolmates waved to me.

"Hi," I wave back. I reached my house and went in through the back door of my and into the living room, where my family was gathered around the TV, eating dinner.

"Hey guys," I said as I went into the kitchen.

"Hi Fall," my brother Joshua said as I filled my plate with pasta and vegetables. I returned to the living room and joined my family on a couch.

"We got the Selection letter today," Mom said, pointing to a letter on the table. I was still debating whether I should enter or not. I mean, Prince Logan was pretty cute. Plus, we could use the money. I probably wouldn't get chosen though. But hey, why not?

"I think I'm going to enter," I announced to my family. They looked up at me, all smiling.

"That sounds good sweetheart," Mom said to me. "Why don't you fill out your form now. I can take you to the post office tomorrow." I nodded and went to retrieve my red pen. I quickly finished filling out the form and I resealed it back in the fancy, crisp envelope. I watched TV with my family for the rest of the night, and went to bed.

The next morning, I was eating my breakfast when someone knocked on my door. I opened it to find my best friend Janie.

"Did you get your form yet?" Janie was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Yeah, I got it yesterday. Mom's going to drop me off at the post office today."

"I filled mine out too. I really hope I get Selected. The Prince is soooooo cute!" Janie said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "We should go get Riley, and we can go to the post office together."

"Ok," I replied. I left a note on the table saying where I was and headed out the door to Riley's house. We knocked at the door and the red haired girl answered almost immediately.

"Hey guys," I was just going to find you, Riley smiled at us.

"We were going to go to the post office, do you wanna come?" I asked.

"Sure, but I didn't fill out the form," Riley said.

"Why not?" Janie asked.

"I don't really want to," Riley replied.

"Ok then, let's go!" Janie cried excitedly and started skipping to the post office. Riley and I rolled our eyes and followed her.

After an hour of waiting in line, we managed to get inside the office. Janie and I put our forms on the stack and stood in line to get our picture taken. I really hoped Janie would be selected, but how could she not? She was beautiful with her strawberry blonde hair and sky blue eyes. She also had an amazing personality.

My picture was taken quickly and Riley and I waited for Janie to be done. We headed back to my house, all of us in a great mood. I found Joshua in the living room, strumming a tune on his guitar. I sat down at the piano and played along with him. The next few hours were the same, Josh, Janie, Riley, and I all laughing and making music. Josh was on the guitar, I was on the piano, Riley shook a tambourine, and Janie tried (and failed) to play the xylophone. Although it would be cool to be selected, I didn't want to leave my family and friends.

 **Thanks to** she-who-has-not-been-named **,** Thedaffodilqueen **,** Wild Leopard123 **, and** SkaterGirl **for reviewing!**

 **If you have any ideas for the story, feel free to review or PM me.**

 **~Demigod18**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 4**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Ashley Jane Carter, 2, Labrador

After watching the Report last night, I knew my mom wanted me to enter the Selection more than anything. She kept dropping "subtle" hints about why this would be a good opportunity for me. But I didn't care. I didn't want to be sent away from my family and friends to a palace to compete for the heart of a Prince.

I quickly put my hair up in a Dutch braid and sat down at my desk. I pulled out my German book from my drawer and started to work. I loved learning languages, it was my hobby. I already knew Spanish, French, Chinese, Swedish, Arabic, Russian, Italian, and English, of course.

After about an hour of conjugating verbs, I decided it was time for a break. I went downstairs to the kitchen, where Mom was sitting at the table, reading the latest gossip magazine.

"Hey Mom," I said, grabbing a yogurt cup out of the fridge.

"Hi, sweetie," Mom looked up and smiled at me. "What have you been doing?"

"Oh, just learning some more German," I replied.

"I'm so proud of you, Ashley," Mom beamed at me. "Learning all of these languages on your own, I have enough trouble with English." Mom chuckled to herself.

"Anyways, you got a letter today," I could tell Mom was trying to contain her excitement. I quickly realized what the letter was for.

I groaned. "Mom, I'm not entering the Selection," I stated.

"Just try it, please?" Mom pleaded.

"No," I said, throwing away my yogurt cup and walking out of the kitchen.

"Fine, we can discuss this later," Mom said calmly.

"There's nothing to discuss, I'm not signing up for the stupid Selection!" I practically yelled. I ran up the stairs and slammed my door shut. I found my adorable pomsky's Ella and Zoe at the foot of my bed. I smiled. Even when I was in a bad mood, my two dogs could always make me smile. I petted them and played Frisbee with them for a while before I realized I had to go to work for a few hours. Labrador Modeling Agency was doing a photo shoot with a magazine and they needed me to be there.

I grabbed my purse, said goodbye to Ella and Zoe, and headed out the door.

"Miss Ashley, Miss Ashley, can I please have your autograph," a young girl who looked to be about 9 smiled at me.

"Sure," I smiled back, and took the pen and paper from her. "Who would you like me to make it out to?"

"Caroline, please," the little girl was bouncing up and down with excitement. _To Caroline, Best wishes, Ashley Carter_. I added a heart and gave the paper back to Caroline.

"Thank you so much," the girl said, hugging me.

I hugged her back, "No problem," I smiled and continued on my way. By the time I got to the agency, I had signed 5 more signatures and taken 3 pictures.

I was quickly ushered into my luxurious dressing room. I sat down on the beige leather couch looked at the dress I was supposed to wear. It was light green, and it was shorter in the front and longer in the back. It had a very flowy design. On the floor underneath it was a pair of nude colored strappy heels.

I stood up, and pulled of my pink dress. I took off my diamond stud earrings and golden locket. Before placing them in my purse, I opened the locket to reveal a family picture of Dad, Mom, and me at the beach when I was 8. I put on the dress and heels, as well as the heavy gold jewelry next to the dress. Sometimes, I wished I wasn't a model. Then, I wouldn't have to wear fancy clothes all the time. Even when I wasn't modeling, my boss made me wear clothes he picked out.

I redid my Dutch braid and walked out of my dressing room confidently. After four hours of modeling, I quickly changed, and grabbed my purse. I said goodbye to my fellow workers and left the modeling agency. As I passed the post office, I saw Mom coming out the door. I walked up to her, no longer angry from our earlier argument.

"Hi Mom," I said. "What were you doing in there?"

"Oh, just turning in your form for the Selection," Mom said calmly.

"What?" I said, raising my voice.

"Relax sweetie, there's a very small chance you'll get chosen," Mom said.

"This isn't about getting chosen! It's about you not listening to me!" I felt like I was going to cry.

"But Ashley..," Mom started, but I cut her off by running as fast as I could back home. I ignored fans asking me for autographs and pictures and just kept running.

I went inside and slammed the door. My father walked by. "Ashley, what's wrong?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned. I just ignored him and slammed the door to my room for the second time today. I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and got into bed, Ella and Zoe on either side of me. I was still mad beyond belief.

I fell asleep quickly, tired from the day's events.

Riley Jenessa Crespo, 7, Zuni

I walked out of Angels strip club with my best friend Serena, laughing about a prank I pulled on my brother Ryan. Even though Serena was 7 years older than me, we were still really close. I stuffed the two twenty dollar bills in my pocket.

Even though I hated being a stripper, it payed 3 times more than when I was a gardener, and being 7's, we really needed it. On the way home, I picked several daisies and made them into another flower crown.

"Hey Riley, did you get your form for the Selection yet?" Serena asked.

"Not yet, but it should come soon," I replied.

"You should enter," Serena's said.

"I think I will," I replied. "We could use the money, and I would never have to work at Angel's again." The thought of never going back to Angel's instantly brightened my mood. "Plus, Prince Logan's hot," I added. Serena and I broke into a fit of giggles.

"You know, I feel kind of bad for Logan," I said.

"Why, he has too many servants to count, and food every day," Serena looked at me questioningly.

"Well, the poor guy has to get married before he even has time to find out who he is," I replied.

"That's true, but what can he really do, besides rule the country?" Serena asked.

"I guess that's true, but still," I said. We finally reached our tiny house. I opened the door and walked into our tiny kitchen. Robin was cooking a small can of beans over a fire. We didn't have enough money for a stove.

"Hey Robin," I greeted. "How's life?"

"Life's great," my older brother responded.

"Hey Serena," Robin said to my friend.

"He should be getting home by now," Robin responded. Ryan was our younger brother, and he was typically pretty crabby. Let's just say he didn't exactly approve of my job. Just then, Ryan walked in.

"Hey guys," Ryan greeted us, looking happier than normal. "Riley, I heard about the Selection, you should enter. Then you can quit your stupid job."

Although I wanted to quit my job, I couldn't. "My job happens to pay the bills around here," I retorted. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of the Selection," Robin cut in. "The form came in today. It's in the living room." Our living room consisted of a small couch, a chair, and a small wooden table. Serena and I immediately sprinted into the small room. On the table, there was a crisp white envelope with a red seal. I grabbed my blue pen from my pocket. I always carried it there, as I tend to doodle a lot.

"Well, I have to go pick up Zander from my Mom," Serena said. Zander was Serena's adorable son.

"Ok, see you on Monday," I replied. Luckily, we had the day off tomorrow. I heard the door close behind me.

I pulled out a coin from my pocket and rolled it around in my fingers as I filled out the form.

I added a doodle of a flower on the top left corner. I finished filling it out quickly. As I resealed the form, I noticed blue smudges on the side of my left hand. Sometimes, it was a pain to be left handed.

I joined Ryan and Robin in the kitchen for dinner. We quickly ate up the pasta and beans, and went in the living room to play poker.

An hour later, I was winning by a long shot. This was the last round, and I had a royal flush. Luckily I had a good poker face. I threw in 40 dollars worth in chips. Robin immediately folded.

"You really think your hand is that good Riley?" Ryan asked, raising one eyebrow. He threw in the rest of his chips. We turned over our cards. Ryan only had a straight.

"Dang it," Ryan pounded his fist on the table. I collected all the chips in the center and chuckled evilly.

"I'm the poker master," I said to Ryan. I was just stating the facts.

"She's right, you know," Robin backed me up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to bed now." Ryan stood up and put away his poker chips.

"So am I," I said, cleaning up the many chips I had in front of me. "I have to go to the post office tomorrow to send in my form."

"Ok. Goodnight guys," Robin said.

"Goodnight," Ryan and I said simultaneously.

The next morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn. I looked around to find my brothers still sleeping. I quietly got out of bed. I brushed my wavy black hair. I looked into our small mirror, to find my azure blue eyes staring back at me brightly. I put on a t shirt and a pair of shorts. It was a nice change from my normally revealing clothes. I put on my converse and headed out the door, with my form in hand.

It seemed to be about 2 am, as all lights were still off and no stores were open. I walked around for a while, thinking about the Selection. It would be a great opportunity. I sat down on the side of a lake and stared at the rising sun. For what seemed like minutes, but was really an hour, I watched the changing colors of the sky.

I realized I should probably go turn in my form, assuming the post office was open by now. I headed to the post office, which was open, and the photographers were just getting set up. I waited inside for the photographer to be done, and placed my form on the table. I got my picture taken quickly and left the post office. As a I walked back home, I saw a huge crowd of girls trying to get inside. I smiled and laughed internally.

I really hoped that I would be chosen. The Selection would change my life.

 **Thanks to** ShadowDude90 **,** XOStarbrightXO **,** jenhen48 **,** Shouta Izukai **, just-add-a-dash-of-savvy, and 1st jumper for submitting characters and thanks to UltimateMaxmericaShipper,** Wild Leopard123 **, and** 1st jumper **for reviewing.**

 **If you have any ideas for the story, feel free to review or PM me.**

 **~Demigod 18**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 5**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Aralynn Rhiannon Darke, 2, Calgary

From the moment the Selection was announced on the Report, I knew my life was over. My mom has been training my siblings and I all our life to be in the Selection. She knew almost every detail on the royal family, from Princess Savannah's IQ to King Erik's sister's name. She was crazy. I knew she only wanted the best for us, but she would do anything to get there.

Even though I really didn't want to be in the Selection, I knew Mom would force me to. She forced me to be a model so I would be more noticeable to the royal family, and made me take etiquette lessons since I was two years old. I was also forced to dye my hair blonde, so I would look prettier. I preferred my natural reddish brown color though. Even worse, my mom sometimes starved me and made me exercise like crazy so I would be skinny and fit.

The only bright side to being in the Selection is that I wouldn't have to deal with my family for a while. I loved them, don't get me wrong, but it was too much to handle sometimes.

"Ara, are you ready for the Selection?" Mom's voice cut into my thoughts.

"Yeah," I forced a smile.

"The form should be here tomorrow. When we go to the post office, I need you to wear your best clothes and put on makeup. The royal family will see your picture," Mom said.

"Is Ara going to be a princess?" Ambrielle asked hopefully.

"Yes," Mom replied without hesitation. I internally sighed and stood up.

"I'm going to bed," I announced to my family. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," they replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tanner mouth Good Luck. I smiled at him and walked out of the living room. I quietly snuck a cookie out of the jar and headed upstairs. I changed into athletic shorts and a t shirt, and crawled into bed. I tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. Even though I was tired, thinking about the Selection kept me awake.

The next morning, I was woken up by the sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window. I changed into my best clothes, so I could hopefully avoid a lecture from my mother. I applied the least amount of makeup I possibly could, and left my hair down. I already missed my ripped jeans UGG's. Even though I was often forced to dress up, I felt uncomfortable in my pale blue strapless chiffon dress and strappy heels.

I went downstairs, hoping to avoid Mom so I could eat whatever I wanted to. I was lucky this morning. The kitchen was empty. The clock on the wall said 7:30, so I figured everyone else was asleep. I cooked an egg on the stove and toasted two slices of bread. When they popped out of the toaster, I layered them with jelly. I enjoyed my nice breakfast in peace, which was pretty rare.

After I had washed my dishes and cleaned up my crumbs, Mom walked down the stairs, with an envelope in hand.

"Good morning Ara," Mom greeted me with a smile. She looked over what I was wearing and nodded in approval.

"Good morning Mom," I pretended to be cheerful about the Selection. "Is that the form?"

"Yeah, I'll help you fill it out," Mom said. I really didn't want her help, but if I told her that, I would probably receive another lecture.

"Ok," I said. Mom opened the envelope and put the form on the table. She gave me a pen from her pocket. I started to fill it out, but it was weird with my mom watching over my shoulder.

When I got to the Languages Spoken part, Mom nodded her approval.

"That should guarantee you a spot," Mom said happily. "I'm pretty sure not many people speak Scottish Gaelic."

Unfortunately, Mom had a good point. I forced a smile.

"Let's go to the post office," Mom said, standing up. I followed her and we walked out the door and to the post office. A line of girls wrapping around the block awaited us as we neared our destination. We found the back of the line and waited.

Three hours later, we arrived inside the post office. Mom placed my form on a stack and we went in the next room to get my picture taken. I sat on the tall stool, and it wasn't long before Mom decided to get involved.

"Head up sweetie...smile wider...shoulders back….," the photographer finally took my picture, and I got up.

As we were walking back home, I saw my friends Vienna and Riley by the book store.

"Mom, I'll meet you back home," I said. "I'm going to go talk to Vienna and Riley."

Mom nodded her approval and I sprinted to my friends. "Hey guys," I said cheerfully.

"Hi Ara," they said simultaneously. Vienna looked at my dress. "Selection?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," I sighed. "You guys are lucky you don't have to enter."

My friends nodded sympathetically.

"What were you guys doing at the bookstore?" I asked. Vienna pointed at Riley, who was the smart one in the group.

"Of course," I smiled at Riley, who tucked her blonde hair behind her ear.

"You guys wanna get some ice cream?" Vienna asked.

"Sure, but don't tell my mom," I said. They nodded and we headed to the ice cream store.

We sat down at a table, ice cream in hand. I licked my delicious red velvet ice cream. "I haven't had ice cream in so long," I said, a dreamy expression on my face.

"I can tell," Vienna said. She and Riley laughed.

"Riley, when do you leave for college?" I asked.

"In a week," she replied.

"We're going to miss you," I said. Vienna tackled Riley into a hug and I joined her.

After a few seconds, we heard a muffled voice. "I...can't...breathe." We laughed and released. Riley. I started a long rant about my mother and the Selection.

"You might not get picked," Vienna said hopefully.

"I guess, but it's what I've been trained to do ever since I was born," I said. "I don't know what Mom would do if I wasn't picked."

"Well, if you do get selected, just try to get eliminated," Riley suggested.

"I think I'm just going to try to get to the Elite to please Mom, and then I'll drop out," I told them.

"That's a good plan," Vienna said.

I just hoped I wouldn't get selected so I wouldn't have to go through with it.

Chanda Farhani, 2, Angeles

As soon as the Selection was announced on the Report, I knew I had to enter. It could be a way out of my engagement with the stuck up Duke Adam O'Connor. He only wanted to marry me for my looks. I hated him, but we had an arranged marriage, and I couldn't escape it. Unless I was selected.

I quickly finished my dinner and put my dishes in the dishwasher. I went back into the living room to say goodnight. The Report was still on, and Prince Logan was talking about the Selection. I listened intently, as I was planning on filling out the form as soon as I got it. Once the Report was over, I decided to go to sleep.

"Goodnight Ammi, Goodnight Abbu," I said to my parents, even though I knew they didn't care. I still had to be respectful to them though. My father secretly couldn't wait for me to be married, so he wouldn't have to deal with me anymore. My mother barely had time for us, it was a miracle she was home right now.

I went upstairs and changed into my warm, cotton nightgown. I released my long, wavy brown hair from its high ponytail and crawled into bed. Before I fell asleep, I thought about the Selection. I realized I shouldn't enter. Even if I was Selected, I would probably end up marrying the Duke unless I married the Prince. I had made up my mind, I wouldn't enter the Selection.

The next morning, I woke up to a hand gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find my best friend Lakshmi hovering over my bed.

"Lakshmi, what are you doing here? It's only 8:00," I mumbled, still half asleep. At least I had the day off today.

"I woke you up so we could fill out our forms together," Lakshmi smiled.

"What for- oh the Selection," I realized. "You know I can't. I have an arranged marriage."

"Well this could be a way out of it," Lakshmi stated. "Besides you probably won't even get picked. There are tons of girls in Angeles."

Lakshmi had a point. Plus, I really wanted a break from my life at home. "Ok, I'll do it." I stepped out of bed, brushed my hair and put it up in a messy bun. I put on jeans and a short kurta. I checked to make sure my grandmother's locket was in place and went downstairs with Lakshmi.

In the kitchen, my nanny Marleen was making pancakes. I loved her to death, and she was basically my mother. I normally called her Ma.

"Good morning Ma," I said to Marleen.

"Good morning Chanda," Marleen turned around. "Pancakes?"

"Definitely," Lakshmi and I replied. Ma's pancakes were the best.

"We are going to fill out our Selection forms," Lakshmi said.

"What about your arranged marriage?" Ma asked me.

"I'm hoping the Selection is a way out of it," I said. "Plus I could get a break from Ammi and Abbu."

"Ok, but if your parents ask, I had no idea," Ma asked. We smiled, and nodded.

As Ma finished the pancakes, Lakshmi and I filled out our forms. We quickly finished, and gobbled down our pancakes.

"These are delicious, as always," Lakshmi said to Ma. I nodded in agreement.

"We should go to the post office," I said. "Do you want to come Ma?"

"I have to clean up the kitchen, but thanks anyways," Ma replied and started washing the griddle.

Lakshmi and I walked to the post office. There was a long line of girls, all wearing dresses. "Why are they so dressed up?" I asked Lakshmi.

"We have to get our picture taken," Lakshmi said. We stood at the back of the seemingly endless line and waited.

Three hours later, Lakshmi and I finally entered the post office. We placed our forms and a tall stack and got our pictures taken.

On the way home, I saw a dog on the side of the road. I resisted the urge to scream. "Lakshmi, it's a dog," I pointed a shaky finger at the dog. Lakshmi knew how bad my fear of dogs was.

"Ok, just keep walking," Lakshmi soothed, trying to calm me down. I walked the rest of the way home with my knees wobbling.

At home, I made some pizza for lunch. As we finished eating, the oven beeped and I took the warm brownies out of the oven. Cooking was my favorite thing to do.

"Do you want to go to the soup kitchen?" I asked Lakshmi. A few years ago, I decided to open up a soup kitchen. Now, there were 14 of them in Angeles, and I was hoping to spread them all over Illéa.

"Sure," Lakshmi said and we both got up from the table and headed out the door.

At the soup kitchen, Lakshmi and I made dozens of sandwiches, and cooked several pots of soup. It always made my day when someone thanked me for the delicious food.

After a long day, I returned home. Unfortunately, Duke Adam O'Connor and his family were waiting for me. Ma was packing her bag and was getting ready to leave when I walked in.

"What's going on Ma?" I asked before she stepped out the door.

"Your parents came home early so they could talk to the O'Connor's," Ma responded with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Oh great," I muttered under my breath.

"Good Luck," Ma smiled and closed the door. I took a deep breath and stepped into the living room.

The adults politely greeted me as I saw Adam staring at me. He got up and led me out of the room. As soon as we got to my bedroom, the Duke tried to kiss me. He had done it before, and I had managed to stop him every time. I once again dodged his kiss, and he ended up with his lips against the wall. I tried to suppress my laughter and got up from the bed.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go for a walk," I left the room, leaving a shocked Adam on my bed. I went outside and walked around the gardens for a while to calm me down. I was annoyed with my parents, but even more annoyed with Adam.

I had to be chosen for the Selection, it was the only way out of my awful life.

 **Thanks to** she-who-has-not-been-named **and** jenhen48 **for submitting characters, and thanks to** she-who-has-not-been-named **for reviewing!**

 **If you have any plot ideas or ideas for your character, feel free to review or PM me.**

 **~Demigod18**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 6**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Caspian Abbey Blue, 7, Hundson

I gave the last of the slop to the pigs and brushed the dirt off of of my clothes. Unfortunately, I had to go home. I wished I could stay out here forever, I love nature and animals. I collected my paycheck from Mr. Johnson and walked back home.

I crept inside the house quietly, hoping not to disturb my foster father, James. Unfortunately, he saw me come in as he grabbed another beer bottle from the refrigerator.

"Ah, there you are," James chuckled drunkenly. He chugged down half of the bottle. "You were supposed to be home 10 minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, I had to finish-" I started. James punched me in the stomach. I could already feel a bruise forming.

"No excuses, you ungrateful brat!" James yelled. "You and your idiot brother are good for nothing!" James held up his hand. I knew if I ran, he would grab me and things would just get worse. So I stayed in place and hoped he wouldn't hit me. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact.

I heard the sound of a loud slap, and my face was in pain. I opened my eyes. My face stung terribly, but luckily, there was no blood.

"I'm going out," James said, grabbing another bottle of beer from the refrigerator. "Have dinner ready when I get home." James snarled at me and slammed the front door.

My foster brother Jay walked into the kitchen, his body trembling all over.

"It'll be okay," I soothed him. "I'm saving up money so we can move out together."

I made some pasta salad and fed two bowls to Jay, who scarfed it down immediately. Being sevens, we didn't get to eat very much. I took a bowl and left the rest of it on the table, with a chilled bottle of wine.

I led Jay up to our room and we changed into our pajamas. I took out the flute I had bought a year ago. I had saved up money for three years before I was able to buy it. I played a couple scales and started a piece I had written myself. James yawned sleepily. I put away the flute and crawled into bed.

After two hours, I couldn't sleep. I took the flashlight off my desk and turned it on, trying not to wake the snoring Jay.

I dug through my desk and pulled out a slip of paper. My foster mother found me on the street with this note attached. The words were blurry, as it had rained the day I was found. It said my first and middle name, but my last name was completely blurred out, so my foster parents made up the last name Blue. Unfortunately, that meant I would never find my parents and leave this nightmare. Under my name, a blurry message read Take care of her. Obviously James ignored this, given the amount of times he has hurt Jay and I. We used to have a sister, Kate, but she was killed by James one night when he was drunk. She was only five. After that, my foster mother left us.

I reached further into the drawer and pulled out a soft, lavender colored blanket. I put it up to my cheek. I was left with this blanket and the note in a baby carrier. I draped the blanket over my pillow, turned off the flashlight, and went back to bed. I fell asleep quickly.

The next morning, I woke up early. I soon realized that it was a Sunday, and I had the day off. I groaned internally, realizing I had school tomorrow. I hated school, and most of the kids ignored me because of my caste.

I took a quick shower and changed into a t shirt and ripped jeans. I brushed through my wavy brown hair. I looked into the mirror. I could see the tiredness in my eyes. Hoping that James was still asleep, I walked down the stairs. Unfortunately, he was sitting at the kitchen table, with a crisp white envelope in hand.

James sneered at me. "You got a letter." I plucked the envelope out of his hand and peeled off the red seal. I skimmed through the letter before realizing it was for the Selection.

"You have to enter," James said. I was probably going to anyways. But I didn't want to leave Jay alone with our abusive father.

James must have seen the hesitant look on my face. "I'm forcing you to. We need the money"

I grabbed a pen from the counter and started filling out the form while James ate a large breakfast.

"I'm going out," James said. He grabbed a vodka bottle from the fridge and headed out the door. I looked inside the refrigerator, and there was nothing for James and I to eat. I went to the grocery store, and bought two cups of yogurt for Jay and I. I came home to find my brother padding down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

I set the yogurt on the table. "Good morning!" I said cheerfully.

"Good morning," Jay replied, opening his yogurt. He noticed the form on the counter. "What's that for?"

"It's the form for the Selection," I said. "James is forcing me to enter."

"You should, you could move us out of here with all of that money," Jay looked hopeful.

I laughed. "Don't get your hopes up just yet, I might not even be selected."

We finished our yogurt and I took my form off the counter. "I'm going to go drop this off." Jay nodded and I left the house. I walked to the post office, to find a line wrapping around the block. I got to the back of the line.

Four hours later, I made it into the post office. I gave my form to someone at the counter and took my picture. I smiled, thinking about what my life would be like if I got Selected.

I returned home, and went into the living room to relax. The couch and floor were littered with beer bottles. I cleaned up the mess and sighed.

I needed to be selected, it would change my life.

Everly Calista Faze, 6, Atlin

I served the last customer of the day, a family of rich Two's.

"What would you like today?" I smiled sweetly. The daughter looked disapprovingly at me.

"A better waitress," the daughter inspected me.

"I'm sorry, there is no one else to serve you," I said, trying not to lose it.

"Oh, that's too bad," the daughter said. "In that case, I'll have a strawberry smoothie and a burger, well done." I collected the rest of the family's orders and waited for the food to be ready.

I took the food on a tray to the family. Still angry, I "accidentally" spilled the smoothie on the daughters chiffon dress.

"This was imported from Swendway!" the daughter shouted angrily. I supressed my giggled and fake apologized.

Soon, the day was over and I walked over to the coffee shop down the block where my friend Dallas worked.

I ordered a cup of coffee, even at this hour. I was definitely a caffeine junkie, and I would probably die without coffee.

"Hey Dallas," I said as she placed the coffee in front of me.

"Hey Ever," she replied. "I was just about to go home."

"Do you want to come to my house? I'm making tacos."

"Sounds good, I don't think Mom and Dad will mind." Dallas took off her apron and we walked out of the store to my house.

I greeted my family and started cooking. I chopped all of the vegetables and cooked the tortillas. It was nice to have a new stove, as our old one had broken down a couple months ago. I called my family into the kitchen.

We started eating quietly. "What do you guys think?"

"It's delicious!" Sawyer smiled brightly at me. I couldn't resist smiling back. Sawyer was the sweetest person ever, and I loved her more than anyone. She was a result of one of my mother's many one night stands.

"it definitely is," Dallas agreed. "You are very talented." Sawyer giggled.

"What do you think Mom?" Sawyer asked.

"It's good," Mom responded. My mom was a very bitter person. "The letter for the Selection came today. I expect you will enter."

I considered the idea. Being sixes, we needed the money, as Sawyer needed to go to school.

"I'll do it," I said.

"You're going to be a princess," Sawyer said delightedly.

I laughed. "I haven't even been selected yet."

"You will be, your beautiful," Sawyer assured me. I smiled at her and washed everyone's dirty dishes. I grabbed the form and a pen, and left the kitchen.

I said goodnight to Mom, and went upstairs to the room I shared with Sawyer. She was already in her pajamas, reading a book. I had taught her how to read two years ago, and it was one of her favorite things to do. I changed into my pajamas, and crawled into the bed next to Sawyer's.

I quickly finished filling out the firm, and I resealed it and put it on my bedside table.

"Goodnight Sawyer," I smiled at her and turned off the light.

"Goodnight Ever," Sawyer snuggled into the covers.

The next morning, I woke up to the sun shining in my eyes. I got out of bed and stretched. I saw my form on the table and decided to take it to the post office. I put on my favorite black and blue striped tank top, my jeans that were torn on my right knee when I tripped on a sidewalk, and hunting shoes. I brushed my light blonde hair and tied it back in a high ponytail.

I slowly opened the door of my mom's bedroom to find her still asleep, and quietly walked downstairs, trying not to wake anyone up. I made myself a nice breakfast of eggs and toast, and left the house, the form in my back pocket.

At the post office, a long line of girls were waiting to get inside. Most of them were dressed in pink and were giggling and squealing about the Prince. I rolled my eyes and found the back of the line.

Two hours later, I had finally arrived in the post office after four girls had said something rude to me. I, of course, put them in their place. I smiled smugly as I thought about my victories. I placed my form on a large stack of white envelopes, and went to get my picture taken. I smiled happily, thinking of the good times Sawyer and I have had.

I left the post office, still smiling. I needed to be selected. It was Sawyer's dream to go to school, and I was going to make it come true.

 **Thanks to** XOStarbrightXO **and** Shouta Izukai **for reviewing, and thanks to** daniagogo **,** devonnlove **,** Shouta Izukai **, and** technicallyelectrictrash **for submitting characters.**

 **If you have any plot ideas or character ideas, feel free to review or PM me.**

 **~Demigod18**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 7**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Sarafinn Dina Clark, 6, St. George

I fiddled with the old flip phone I had found in a Two's garbage bag. I took off as many pieces as I could, and put them back together after studying the parts. I threw on my converse, black leggings, and a t-shirt depicting a night sky.

I went downstairs, to find the kitchen alive with my 5 siblings and half siblings. My step mom had already left for work (thankfully) and my father was desperately trying to prepare breakfast for all the kids. Luckily it was a Saturday, so we didn't have school. I hated school, and I was constantly judged for being a six.

My step sisters, Callie and Abigail, as always, were standing there with a smirk on their face, being rude to Emily.

I quickly stepped in and smiled sweetly. "Don't you ever get tired of living with yourself?" I asked. Callie and Abigail scowled and walked away.

"You're the best, Finn," Emily smiled up at me. She and I were as close as we could possibly be, and we loved each other to death.

"You want to set up some pranks for them?" I asked, smiling devilishly. Emily nodded, following me up to what I call "the prank closet". Years ago, when Dad had married Jennifer, I found a small attic right above the room I shared with Emily. We used to hide up there all the time when our step family was mean to us. Only Emily, Toby, and Jacob knew about it. After a while, I started getting into pranking them when they were rude to me. I hid all of the materials I could use as prank stuff up there.

"I have just the idea," I said, holding up a finger signaling Emily to wait for me. I climbed up the ladder and stepped into the dusty attic. I grabbed an expired pineapple pie, (Abby's least favorite fruit) a bottle of vinegar, a can of floor wax, a carton of spoiled milk, and a string. I put the materials in a bag and hauled it back down the ladder.

I opened the bag and tilted it towards Emily so she could see what was inside. "What do you think?" I asked.

"Perfect," she grinned and we raced back to the kitchen. Dad had left the kitchen to prepare for work and Jacob and Toby were doing last minute homework at the table.

"Whatcha doing?" Jacob looked at us questioningly.

"Another prank," Emily responded. Jacob shrugged and went back to his homework.

I put the spoiled milk on top of the refrigerator and tied a string from the bottom of the carton to the handle. Next, I spread the wax on part of the floor and attached a pie to the wall with masking tape. I put the bottle of vinegar on top of the cabinet where the pie was attached. I grabbed an egg out of the refrigerator and handed it to Emily.

"You know what to do," I said to her.

Emily smiled, "Of course."

"Callie! Abigail! Breakfast's ready!" I screamed. I smiled, thinking of the reaction I would get from my prank.

"Finally," I heard from the other room. "That took forever." I rolled my eyes. Those brats couldn't wait three seconds without whining.

Callie walked in and headed straight for the refrigerator to get her special yogurt. As soon as she opened the door, the expired milk poured all over her designer dress and sparkly heels. Emily quietly walked up behind Callie and cracked the egg over her head. I tried (and failed) to suppress my laughter. Soon, my siblings and I were cracking up at Callie's horrified look as Abby stood there in shock.

It wasn't long before the next step of the prank was put into action. "Hey, what's that pie doing?" Abby asked. She started to walk over to the cabinet where the pie was taped up. Only four steps later, Abby hit the floor wax and was sent flying face first into the pie. The impact of Abby hitting the cabinet caused the vinegar bottle to tip over, drenching my step sister in the disgusting liquid. This time, I didn't even try to not laugh. I let out all my laughter. Jacob and Toby were almost rolling on the floor and Emily was practically howling.

Unfortunately, Dad heard the commotion and came down into the kitchen. He looked at me disapprovingly, but I noticed a hint of a smile on his lips. He quickly recovered, and got to the scolding part.

"Sara, clean this up right now! This is no way to treat your step sisters!"

I saluted, "Sir yes sir." I got out the cleaning equipment and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Being a maid, it didn't take very long before the kitchen was spotless.

As I was putting away the mop, Callie and Abigail walked into the kitchen. "Hey Sara, do you want to sign up for the Selection?"

I thought about this for a moment. I knew the twin devil's only wanted me to sign up because they thought they would get in and I wouldn't, and it would embarrass me. But I decided to let them have their fun. Plus, I needed to do this for Mom. She would be so proud of me if I got in.

"Sure, why not," I pretended to be oblivious to their plan. "I think we just got the forms this morning."

They nodded and we went to the living room to fill out our forms. We finished quickly, and headed off to the post office. We waited in a two hour line, making Callie and Abby very annoyed.

When we got inside, my step sisters pasted on fake smiles and got their pictures taken. I placed my form on a large stack and sat down on the stool. I smiled, thinking of this morning's prank. The photographer snapped the picture and I walked out the door.

Outside, I spotted my friends Ethan, Tripp, and Cole outside the laser tag arena.

"I'll see you guys at home," I said and sprinted off towards my friends.

"Hey guys," I said.

"What's up Finn?" They said simultaneously. "What's with the twin devil's?" Ethan pointed at my step sisters, his eyebrows raised.

The sisters did look happier than normal. "The Selection," I replied.

"Of course," Tripp said. "Did you sign up?"

"Yeah, I just sent in my form. Laser tag?' I asked.

"Sure," the boys grinned.

For the rest of the day, we played laser tag against some poor random people. Of course, we dominated.

I crept into bed, staring at the stars through the window. I thought about the Selection. All of a sudden, I wasn't so sure if I wanted to get in.

Do it for Mom, I thought as I drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Mackenzie Mae Dawson, 4, Waverly

"Here are the recipes, sweetie." Mom smiled and handed me a large stack of laminated recipes. Our family worked in a bakery, and we created all of our own recipes. I thanked Mom and headed into the bathroom before going to work. I put on a white top and light blue skinny jeans for work. I pulled my light blonde hair into a ponytail and threw on my apron. I put a smile on my face and walked into the bakery kitchen. Normally, I would be the cashier, but today I was baking. I fingered the silver necklace my brother gave me years ago. It was just a simple eighth note, but I loved it.

I started singing a new song I had composed as I put the first batch of cupcakes into the oven. I prepared the mint frosting and started on the batter for the lemon cake. The oven beeped and I pulled them out with a pair of light pink oven mitts that I bought my mom for her birthday three years ago. I swirled the icing over the chocolate cupcakes, and started a batch of red velvet cupcakes. Soon, Kevin joined me and Mom came in to open the store. Dad took Evan to his therapy. Evan was my younger brother and was born mute. He would have been an Eight, but we loved him too much to let him go. I felt awful that we couldn't really do anything for him. We didn't have the money, so all we could do was take him to therapy.

After a long day of baking, I had made 2 batches of mint chocolate chip cupcakes, 4 batches of M&M cookies, 5 batches of red velvet cupcakes, 2 lemon cakes, 7 birthday cake batter cake pops, 3 batches of glazed donuts, 2 batches of banana bread, 4 batches of cookie dough cupcakes, and 2 chocolate cakes. I was exhausted and flour covered my face and clothes. I went home with Mom and Kevin, and started preparing dinner.

While waiting for Dad and Evan to come home, I took a quick shower. I threw on a nice top, jeans, and sandals. I walked back downstairs and turned on the TV for the Report.

"We're home!" Dad called out from the front door.

"Dinner's ready and the Report's almost on!" Mom replied. Dad came in and hugged Mom. He kissed me on top of my head and fist bumped Kevin.

"How'd it go, Evan?" I asked, smiling at my younger brother. He smiled back and we high fived. We filled our plates with tacos and sat down in the living room to watch the Report.

King Erik and Queen Eadlyn made some boring political announcements, and then Prince Logan stepped down and started talking. He looked so dreamy with his electric blue eyes and wavy brown hair. He was smiling brightly, but there was a tinge of reluctance on his face. I decided to start listening to what he was saying.

"The Selected will be picked at random and read on the Report. I'm hoping that through this Selection, I will find a great queen for this country and a great wife." I was shocked. I never expected Prince Logan to have a Selection. I thought all of that was over after Queen Eadlyn's Selection.

"You should enter Kenz," Mom's voice cut through my thoughts. "You're beautiful, he would definitely choose you."

"It would be a great opportunity," Dad said, smiling at me. Kevin smiled sympathetically while Evan was practically bouncing in his seat.

I thought about it for a moment. "I'll do it." I announced.

Everyone tackled me in a group hug. I could see Mom and Dad's proud smiles.

After dinner, I washed the dishes and swept the floor. I changed into my pajamas and went up to Evan's room to say goodnight.

"Hey Evan," I smiled at him. "You ready for bed?"

Evan frowned and I laughed. "Ok then." I got into Evan's bed and snuggled up against him. I started to sing lullabies to him and his favorite songs. After half an hour, my throat was getting hoarse and I could tell Evan was ready to sleep.

"Goodnight," I said to Evan. He put his hands up to his ear and closed his eyes, which was his way of saying goodnight. I smiled at him and turned off the light next to his bed. I snuggled deeper into the bed, with Evan only a few inches away.

I thought about the Selection. It seemed like it would be fun. I would meet the royal family, live in the castle, and I would get money. Hopefully, I could earn enough money to pay for Evan's surgery and for Kevin to go to college.

At 6:00 in the morning, I woke up. I got out of bed, stretched, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I was nervous about the Selection. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, so I changed and went downstairs to fill out the form. It didn't take me very long, and I left the house. I jogged all the way down to the post office. I was only the 7th person in line, so I only had to wait for about 5 minutes to get inside.

I placed my form on a small stack, and went to get my picture taken. I smiled brightly, thinking of finally having enough money to pay for Evan's surgery.

After my picture was taken, I thanked the photographer and went back home. Eli was already at my house, even at 7:30. He and Evan were playing with a LEGO set in the living room.

"Hey Kenz," Eli smiled up at me from the carpet.

"Hi, mind if I join?" I pointed at the structure Evan had started to build.

"Sure," Eli said as Evan nodded.

I plopped down onto the carpet and built a LEGO airplane. For the rest of the day, I had fun with my family and Eli. I hoped these times would never end.

 **Thank you to** .just. **,** Thedaffodilqueen **,** XOStarbrightXO **, and** just-add-a-dash-of-savvy for reviewing **, and thanks to** .just. **and** The Drakonian Strider **for submitting characters!**

 **Also, thanks to everyone who favorited and/or followed this story! I really appreciate it.**

 **~Demigod18**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 8**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Luna Grace Meyers, 5, Lakedon

"If it proves so, then loving goes by haps: Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps." I poured my heart into my last line. I exited left stage dramatically. I could hear my best friend Brooklyn start her monologue. After it was over, she joined me behind the curtains.

"That's a wrap for today everybody!" The stage manager called out from his chair. Everyone sighed in relief. We were working on the play Much Ado About Nothing. I had gotten a lead role of Hero, and I was so excited. Luckily, Brooklyn had gotten a great role too. She was going to play Beatrice.

I walked into my dressing room and wiped the sweat off of my face. The lights were so hot sometimes. I took off the heavy dress and wiped the makeup off my face. I threw on my khaki shorts and peach colored top. I was so relieved to not have to wear any more makeup or fancy clothes. I put my hair up in a messy bun to keep it out of my face. After grabbing my purse, I met Brooklyn outside of the theatre.

"Hey Brook," I said, giving her a hug.

"Hi Luna. You wanna get some pizza?" Brooklyn asked. My stomach grumbled and we both burst into laughter.

"Sure," I replied and we headed off to our favorite restaurant. We ordered our pizza and sat down at our usual booth. We came here at least once a week.

Brooklyn crinkled her nose at my pizza slices. "How can you possibly like olives?"

"How can you not like olives?" I asked, popping one into my mouth. "They're delicious."

"You're weird," Brooklyn said. I rolled my eyes. In the background, I heard my favorite song starting to play. I opened my mouth to start singing, but Brooklyn stopped my quickly.

"Please don't," Brooklyn said. "You know you're not very good at singing." I gave her the evil eye but I had to agree with her. I was completely tone deaf, and everyone knew I couldn't sing to save my life. It was a wonder that I was a live theatre actress.

"Whatever," I responded. We finished our pizza and started the walk home. Brooklyn went into her house and I stepped into mine to find the sound of a piano being played. Immediately, I knew it was Mom. No one could play the piano better than her.

I stood by the door and listened to the music for a few minutes. All of a sudden, the music stopped, and I heard violent coughing from the living room. I dropped my bag and raced to my mom. She was laying on the floor, and blood was coming out of her mouth.

"Mom, mom, are you okay?" I tried to get my mom to sit up. I pulled her up. "Do you want me to call an ambulance?" Mom shook her head and stopped coughing.

"Don't worry, I'm okay sweetie," Mom managed a weak smile. "Oh, by the way, your form for the Selection came in today."

"Oh, you can recycle it. I don't think I'm going to enter."

"Why not Luna, you would be perfect for it. I'm sure the Prince would pick you."

"I don't know, I'll think about it."

"Ok," I helped Mom up and she started playing another piece. I went into the kitchen and made dinner, which consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.

After about an hour, I set the table and called out to my family. "Dinner's ready!" Almost immediately, Dale, Hazel, Jas, and Heather ran into the room. Jas washed the paint off her hands before sitting down at the table. Mom and Dad walked in, but realized they had to hurry if they wanted food.

"Luna's form for the Selection came in today," Mom started. I internally sighed and wondered why Mom had to do this. Everyone started trying to convince me to sign up.

"It'll be great!"

You'll live in the palace!"

"We can get more money!"

"You'll have fun!"

"All right, all right, please stop," I held up my hand and everyone stopped talking. "I'm not sure if I want to do it though." Everyone nodded and continued eating, talking about their day.

After dinner, Heather pulled me aside.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Um, for you to enter the Selection," Heather said, looking like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" I asked.

"For Mom's treatment," Heather said. "Plus, our financial situation would improve."

Unfortunately, Heather made a good point.

"Also, why wouldn't you want to enter? The Selection would be amazing."

I felt bad for Heather. She barely missed the cutoff to enter, and was still crying about the lost opportunity.

"Ok, ok, I'll enter. But I probably won't get picked."

"You definitely will," Heather grinned and pulled me back into the kitchen. She announced it to my family, who cheered and hugged me.

I filled out the form and resealed it back into the white envelope. I was about to leave the house to drop it off when I heard a voice behind me.

"Can we come?" 9 year old Hazel asked innocently, with Dale right beside her.

I smiled warmly at them, "Of course."

By the time I left the house, my whole family was right behind me. We walked to the post office, and waited in line for about an hour. I was grateful, knowing I probably missed most of the rush.

After I got my picture taken, Dad treated us to ice cream. Even Jas, who was as sassy as anyone could possibly be, had fun with us.

Being in the Selection would solve all of my family's problems, and I really needed to be in it.

Stephanie Lauren Flynt, 4, Midston

"Hey Steph," my friend Linda pushed her brown curls behind her ear. "Another order of filet mignon. Plus some appetizers." Linda pushed a piece of paper on the counter and smiled before heading to table 5. I started cooking, making the food as perfect as I possibly could.

At the end of the day, I took off my apron and hat and headed home. Linda caught up with me, and we walked back home.

"Are you signing up for the Selection?" Linda asked.

I wrinkled my nose. "Only girls with no life would do that."

"I'm signing up," Linda said, sounding slightly offended.

I merely shrugged while Linda went on and on about the stupid Selection. She could be so annoying sometimes.

I rolled my eyes as Linda gushed about the Prince. We finally got home where dinner was waiting on the table for me.

After dinner, I left the house for a walk. It usually helped to clear my mind. I was three blocks away from home before I ran into my enemy.

"Hello Cornelia," I narrowed my dark green eyes at her. Cornelia was one of those girls who all they cared about were boys and makeup. Normally I would just avoid them, but Cornelia was always rude to me.

"Hello, Stephanie," Cornelia flipped her shiny brown hair over her shoulder. "Have you heard about my Selection party? Now that I'm here, I might as well not invite you."

I fake smiled. "Thanks, I definitely won't attend. What makes you think the Prince would choose a stuck up girl like you?"

Cornelia fumed. "Like he would choose you over me." With that, Cornelia stalked down the block, her 5 inch pink high heels almost cracking the pavement.

I smiled smugly and walked back home. I'd show her.

I went inside and immediately filled out the Selection form. I joined my family in the living room for a game of Monopoly. We played every Monday night.

"Hi princess," Dad smiled and took a large sip of Coke.

"Hi Dad," I said, sitting down next to Uncle Michael. We played a long game that lasted at least two hours. In the end, my brother Cory won. We cleaned up the board and I said goodnight to everyone.

The next morning, I got up early to realize that I had the day off. I groaned at the loss of at least 3 good hours of sleep.

I went downstairs and took my form to the post office, hoping to avoid the line. Unfortunately, I still had to wait two hours. The girls all around me kept giggling and drooling over the prince. I just kept going and tried to ignore them.

In the post office, I got my picture taken and walked out of the mob of girls. I called my friends Chris and Rachel, and stopped at Linda's house. Tuesday was the one day that all of us had off.

We met up at the local park. I saw Chris walking towards me, reading off the science textbook he never left his house without. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Hey Steph," Chris closed the book. "Did you know that the chicken actually came before the egg?"

"I do now."

Next, Rachel and Linda came down the path, each talking about the Selection.

"Hey Steph. Did you enter the Selection?"

"No, Steph thinks it's useless," Linda replied for me.

"Actually, I did," I said.

"Really?" Rachel asked. "I didn't expect that. Why'd you enter."

"Cornelia." That one word made everyone realize exactly why I entered. They hated Cornelia as much as I did, if not more.

"What do you guys want to do?" Christopher asked.

"How about we go to a movie?" Rachel suggested. We nodded and went to the theatre. The new Avengers movie was out, so obviously we watched it. The Avengers was our favorite movie of all time.

At the concession stand, I saw Cornelia buying popcorn (low fat, of course) with one of her minions. She stepped on my foot with her high heels and walked off in the other direction. I comforted my sore foot while Chris started yelling at her.

I needed to be Selected. Cornelia needed to know who was boss.

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, or submitted characters. I really appreciate it!**

 **~Demigod18**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 9**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Nala-Rose Elric, 8, Tammins

I awoke on the uncomfortable park bench that Mom and I had slept in last night. I stretched and tried to rub the soreness out of my back. It didn't really work though. I brushed the leaves off my dirty white tank top and sat up. It was still fairly dark outside, and there was no one in sight except Mom. I grabbed the broken ukulele from the small box of our possessions and started strumming. I hummed softly, careful to not wake up my mother.

After my throat started to hurt, I put the ukulele away and started to walk around, making sure to keep my mother in sight. I neared the edge of the park, where the dumpster lay. Among the pile of leftover food and empty bottles, I spotted a bright white envelope half buried between a banana peel and a soda can. I pulled it out and saw a red seal on it. It took me a minute to realize it was the palace logo.

I opened the envelope, curious as to what was inside. Inside, a letter addressed to some family explained the Selection. I remember Mom telling me about it. It happened when she was 14, so she wasn't able to enter.

I thought about entering. From the black and white pictures I had seen of Prince Logan, he was pretty cute. I had never seen the Report before, so I didn't really know what he was like.

I continued reading the letter until I came across a sentence that caught my eye. The families of the Selected will be generously compensated… I didn't even read the rest of the sentence. This could be the way for us to finally have enough money. I grew up as an 8 all my life, and I had only had food that wasn't from the dumpster once. It tasted a lot better. Maybe this way Mom and I could move up to be 7's, or even 6's. We could get jobs and have a house!

I was so caught up in my daydream that I didn't think about the bad parts about entering. I probably wouldn't even be Selected. I was an 8, after all. Plus, I would have to leave Mom on her own. I didn't know if I could do that. But I thought about us not sleeping on benches and I decided I had to enter. I found a pen in the dumpster and filled out the form.

I practically sprinted back to the bench where Mom was sleeping and gently shook her awake.

"Mom, I'm going to go for a walk. I probably won't be back for a while."

"Ok sweetie," Mom smiled warmly at me and I started walking to the post office. On the way, I tried combing through the knots in my hair with my fingers, but the knots were so big it didn't work. I threw my hair back into a ponytail. I also tried to wipe the dirt off of my face and clothes.

I stood in line at the post office, surrounded by countless amounts of girls. Behind me, I couldn't help but listen to the conversation between a few two's.

"What does that girl think she's doing?" One of them asked. "I'm pretty sure she's an eight. The prince would never pick her." The other girls giggled. I realized they were talking about me. I whirled around, looking furious.

"Like the prince would pick you," I retorted. "You look like a clown." I pointed to the bright red lipstick she had overapplied. The girls just laughed, making me even more mad. I kicked one of them on the shin, leaving a smudge of dirt. The girl gasped in shock. She started to squeal and she and her friends raced off. I turned back around, happy at my victory. Although I wasn't typically a rude person, if anyone made fun of me or Mom, I wouldn't be afraid to be rude to them.

I finally got into the post office. I saw the shocked look on people's faces as I sat down on the stool and got my picture taken. The photographer gave me a thumbs up, and I skipped back to the park, visions of the palace lifting my spirit.

Back at the park, Mom and I played on the ukulele and played in the park. For a brief moment, I forgot about the Selection and being an 8, and I had fun. I needed to be Selected, it would literally change my life.

Morgan Kristopher Jennings, 3, Dakota

I woke up late today, taking advantage of my day off. The sunlight streamed into my room, forcing my eyes to open. I groaned and sat up. I got out of bed, remembering that I was going to spend the day with Heidi and Jo. I slowly crept out of bed and splashed cold water on my face to wake up. I brushed my long, light brown hair and put on a green beanie. I pulled on tights and jean shorts, and put on my favorite pair of brown boots. I also put on a long sleeved shirt to cover my scars.

Downstairs, Mom was feeding Sammy some baby food and Dad was making breakfast.

"Hey honey," Dad said, smiling. "Breakfast?"

"Thanks, but I'm not that hungry," I replied. I smiled at him and briefly acknowledged Mom. "I'm going to Jo's house."

"Ok, have fun sweetie," Dad flipped the pancakes. "Also, a letter came in for you today." Dad pointed to an envelope so white it almost hurt my eyes. I was kind of surprised by this, I almost never got mail. I thanked Dad and realizing I was late, I stuffed the envelope in my pocket and walked to Jo's house.

I rang the doorbell to Jo's massive house. Even though she was also a three, her parents were big music producers. They were even more rich than some two's. Jo answered the door, with Heidi right behind her.

"Krys! What took you so long?" Jo asked.

"I slept in," I replied.

"Did you get your letter for the Selection?" Heidi asked.

"No, I don't-" Suddenly it clicked. "Actually, I did, I have it in my pocket."

"Are you guys going to enter?"

"Of course," Jo said. At the exact same time, Heidi said "Probably not."

"You should," Jo told Heidi. "It'll be fun." I could tell Heidi was having trouble saying no. She was my best friend, and I knew her better than anybody else. She was pretty shy.

"I don't think she wants to," I said to Jo. "But I'm going to enter." I was tired of feeling like I didn't belong here. My own mother barely talked to me unless she had to. We didn't hate each other, we just weren't close. Especially after 'The Incident'.

"This will be good for you," Jo said. "Maybe it'll help you get over-" Heidi slammed her hand over Jo's mouth. They shared a look.

"I'm so sorry Krys, I didn't mean anything by it." Jo looked truly apologetic. I knew she was right though.

"No, it's okay," I said, even though it made me feel sad. "It's time I got over Peter."

Jo and Heidi looked shocked. I knew exactly why. I hadn't said his name in almost a year. It still made me feel sad. I could already feel the tears about to come. I turned around and blinked furiously until they went away. I didn't want my friends to feel bad. I turned back around and managed a feeble smile.

"What do you guys want to do?" I asked.

"Maybe we could go to the lake," Heidi suggested. She knew I loved the lake. The lake was really small and only a couple miles away from where we lived. We went there every week. I smiled at Heidi. She was the greatest friend I could hope for.

Jo and I nodded and we went upstairs to change. Heidi caught my eye and mouthed "Are you okay?"

I nodded and quickly averted my eyes. Once we were in bathing suits, Jo drove us to the lake. We immediately jumped in and played water tag. We called our friend Quentin, and played a game of water polo. Four hours later, we were exhausted. All of us drove back to Jo's house and we ordered pizza and watched one of Quentin's favorite movies.

"Hey Krys, do you want to fill out our forms now?" Jo asked as the credits rolled.

"Sure," I got up and followed her to the kitchen. We quickly filled out the forms and drove to the post office, which was pretty far away from Jo's house. Heidi and Quentin already went back home. At the post office, it took us two hours to get inside. We got our picture taken, and drove back home. I barely paid attention to what Jo was saying.

 **I really hoped I would be Selected. It could be the place that I finally belonged.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and submitted characters. I really appreciate it.**

 **I only have 22/35 characters so please keep submitting. I want to start the competition soon. You can submit as many characters as you want.**

 **~Demigod18**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 10**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Jennifer Ivanoff, 3, Whites

"Dr. Fitzgerald?" I asked, looking away from my new microscope for the first time in four hours. "Are you sure we don't have enough money for the research project?"

"Yes Dr. Ivanoff," Dr. Fitzgerald sighed. "We've been over this, even with every possible cut we could make, we wouldn't have enough money."

I had finally made a breakthrough in the cancer research project I was working on. I had started the project a few months ago, and no one else knew about it. Two weeks ago, I found a valuable piece of information that could have been very helpful to finding the cure to cancer. I proposed my idea to Dr. Fitzgerald, the head scientist at the lab I worked at. He and the staff loved the idea, but as much as they tried, they could not find a way to support my project. There just wasn't enough money.

After another two hours, I finished work for the day and said goodbye to the people in the lab. My best friend and lab partner Leo met up with me at the door to the lab. He was currently working on a project about the bonding of atoms.

"How'd work go?" I asked him. His eyes lit up and he started talking to me about his new discoveries. Our friends Moria and Orien, who were both security guards at the lab, were waiting for us outside.

"What did Dr. Fitzgerald say?" Moria's silver eyes looked hopeful.

"Still nothing," I said, frowning.

"Don't worry Jenna," Orien smiled at me. "With a project as good as yours, they'll find the money somehow."

"Thanks Oreo," I smiled back, using the nickname I had called him since we were 8.

When I finally got home, Mom was preparing dinner. I changed out of my lab coat and helped her make the hamburgers.

"Jenni, Jenni!" Jade, my 10 year old sister ran up and hugged me, almost knocking the spatula out of my hand.

"Hi Jade," I smiled lovingly at her. "How was your day?"

"Great! Sierra came over and we watched a movie in the theatre! It was great." Jade then explained the entire movie to me.

After we finished dinner, Dad walked in, looking as tired as normal and his hair messed up. He set his briefcase on the floor and started eating from the plate I gave him.

"Hi honey," Mom greeted him. "How did the case go?" Dad was an amazing lawyer, and he won almost every case he was in.

"We won," Dad said. "But not without a fight. The jury was out for almost 7 hours. How were your patients?" Mom was a doctor at the local hospital, and was rarely ever home on time.

"Great, one of them canceled, but the others went pretty fast. I came home about three hours ago."

"That's great!" Dad directed his attention to me. "What did Fitzgerald say?"

"No luck," I said. "But hopefully soon."

"I'm sure they'll find a way," Dad smiled sympathetically.

"Oh Jenni," Jade said. "You got a letter today! It's for the Selection!"

"Oh cool, you can recycle that. I'm not going to enter."

"Why not, you could be a princess," Jade couldn't imagine why anyone would not want to enter.

"I don't know Jade," I said. "I'll think about it."

"Oh honey, you should enter," Mom cut in, tucking a strand of ginger hair behind her ear. "Maybe you could raise enough money to fund your research."

"Mom, you're a genius!" I surprised her with a hug that almost pushed her to the ground. "I'm going to enter immediately! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Mom and dad smiled as I filled out the form, Jade right by my side. I quickly finished resealed it into the pristine white envelope.

"Jenni, do you want me to take you to the post office?" Mom asked.

"Thanks Mom," I smiled gratefully at her and jumped into the passenger seat of the station wagon. We drove to the post office, which was on the opposite side of town. I kept thinking about the Selection. Even though I wasn't a huge dress person, I could get used to them and I would probably enjoy wearing them. The palace would be great, with all of the food, the swimming pool, the stables, the gardens…

Mom cut into my daydream. "We're here."

We got out of the car, and the line wasn't too long, thankfully. After about half an hour, we entered the post office and I handed my form to a postal worker. I sat down on the stool and smiled, thinking of being famous after I discovered the cure to cancer.

We left the post office, and returned home. I changed into my most comfortable pair of pajamas and crawled into bed. I fell asleep dreaming about being in the Selection.

I really wanted to be Selected. It could be my opportunity to achieve something great.

Avery Lane Kingston, 7, Clermont

I was relieved beyond belief when it was time for a break. I worked at The Howlin' Wolf, the most popular bar in all of Clermont. My friend Ansley, who was a burlesque dancer at the club, pulled up a seat at the bar.

"Hey Lane," she greeted as I gave her a glass of water. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and pressed the cool glass of water to her forehead.

I started drumming my fingers against the table, a habit I had picked up ever since I learned to play the drums.

"So, did you get your form for the Selection?" Ansley asked.

"Yeah, it came in yesterday night." I replied.

"Are you going to enter?"

"No, are you?"

"Yes, and you should too, come on it'll be fun."

"I don't think so," I replied.

"Isn't the prince sooo cute?" Ansley asked as a dreamy look passed over her face. "When we get married you can be my maid of honor."

I rolled my eyes, but Ansley was too busy imagining the Prince in a tuxedo to notice.

"But anyways," Ansley snapped out of her daydream. "I dare you to enter."

Unfortunately, Ansley knew my weakness. I rarely passed up dares.

"Okay fine," I agreed, knowing I wouldn't be Selected.

Ansley probably sensed what I was thinking. "The prince would definitely pick you. I mean, you're gorgeous, plus your eyes are so cool."

"Not all the time, I used to be teased a lot in school," I replied. I had heterochromia, which meant my eyes were each different colors. My left eye was bright green, while my right eye was a light caramel brown color.

"Break over!" My boss called out. Ansley and I groaned simultaneously, and she left for another performance.

After a few more hours of mixing drinks for incredibly drunk people, it was finally time to go home. Ansley and I walked back to our houses, tired from the long day of work. At home, I took off my strapless dark red shirt and high waisted jeans, which my sleazy boss made me wear. I changed into my pajamas, and went downstairs for dinner.

"Hey Mom," I hugged her and sat down at the table.

"Hi Avery," Madalyn greeted, adjusting her favorite butterfly headband on her head.

"Hi Maddie," I smiled at her. "Hey Jacob."

My younger brother merely smiled and waved, he wasn't much of a talker. I practically inhaled my food, and quickly did the dishes.

"Dang it," I said aloud, remembering the dare from earlier.

"What sweetie?" Mom asked.

"I told Ansley I would enter the Selection," I frowned.

"Oh that's great honey! You have no idea how much I appreciate this! This will really help our financial situation. Mom kissed me on top of my head and immediately grabbed the form for me. She handed it to me with a pen, and I quickly filled it out. Since it was so late, I decided to take it to the post office tomorrow.

"Goodnight Mom," I said as I walked into the bedroom I shared with Maddie and Jacob. I set the form beside the bed I slept in with Maddie, and turned off the lights. Maddie and Jacob were already sound asleep, but I found myself unable to sleep. I was too nervous about the Selection.

The next morning, I got up way earlier than I normally did, my nerves still on overdrive. I didn't even know why I was so nervous, it wasn't like I was going to be Selected anyways.

I got out of bed and put on my usual outfit, which consisted of my tattered, ripped, jeans, combat boots, and my red long sleeved shirt. After realizing how comfortable I felt, I thanked my lucky stars that I didn't have to go to work today. Normally, I would go anyways to get some extra money, but I just wasn't in the mood today. I grabbed the form and quietly crept out of the house. At the post office, only five girls were waiting in line, so I didn't have to wait outside like I saw the girls do yesterday.

The line went by in about 3 minutes, and I sat down on the stool to get my picture taken. I put on my best smile, which wasn't hard, since I was thinking about my memories with my dad. My dad and I were as close as we could possibly be. We did everything together, we were both bookworms and we were interested in the unknown. He died in a car crash. The only thing that made it worse was that I was in the passenger seat. I cried for a straight three days after his death, but by now I've sort of gotten used to it. Even though I still get sad whenever I think about him, I don't cry anymore.

I got up from the stool and walked back home. I crawled back into bed, finally able to sleep peacefully.

Maybe being Selected wouldn't be such a bad thing. It would help out my family.

 **Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, reviewed, and/or submitted characters! You have no idea how happy it makes me feel :)**

 **So far I have 25 characters so keep submitting!**

 **Also check out** HIAtriplets **new story,** A New Journey SYOC **.**

 **~Demigod18**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 11**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Cara Louise Swan, 3, Columbia

 _"It was me!" A quiet voice cried from behind the mail slot, then footsteps echoed off the cobblestone as the mystery killer ran away for the last time._

I sighed in relief and leaned back in my chair. I had just finished writing my latest murder mystery. I took the paper from the typewriter, yes, I like to use typewriters, and put them in a pile on my desk. I tied my frizzy blonde hair into a bun and stretched. My muscles were sore from sitting here for the last six hours.

I walked downstairs, but a picture of Percy interrupted my path. Percy was our aussie/border collie mix who was recently run over by a car. He was my best friend, and I still wasn't over his death. I felt tears well up in my eyes, but I furiously rubbed them away and continued down the stairs.

"Hey West," Brooks greeted me from his spot in front of the TV. I smiled at the nickname he had given me years ago, since I loved the Wild West. He was watching some National Geographic program again.

"Hi Brooks. I just finished the book." I handed him the papers. "Please don't mess them up."

"Cool, thanks," Brooks replied as he started skimming through the 400 page novel.

Just then, Mom walked out of the kitchen in a pink apron that was spotless. "Dinner's ready!"

Brooks and I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Mom set down salad and pizza on the table and took off her oven mitts.

"Are you still wasting your time on those silly books?" Dad asked.

I tried not to roll my eyes and nodded. "I just finished my newest book."

Dad frowned unappreciatively. "You're just wasting time. You should do something better with your life."

I pretended like the comment didn't hurt me and nodded.

"Cara, you look like you've gained weight. You should start working out more," Mom cut in. I sighed. Everything Mom said to me was always pointing out one of my flaws. The problem was I hadn't even gained any weight.

After an awkward and silent dinner, we went to the living room to watch the Report. King Erik and Queen Eadlyn gave a few announcements on rebel activity, and updated us on the financial situation of the country. When I thought it was over, Gavril introduced Logan to the stage, and Logan started talking about the Selection. I immediately started listening. I would never admit it to anyone, but I had a crush on the Prince.

After the Report, we said goodnight and went to bed. I fell asleep dreaming about the Selection. I didn't wake up until 11:00 the next day.

I got out of bed and changed into my blue sleeveless dress with a pink floral pattern. I put on my black high top converse and a black blazer with the sleeves rolled up. I put on my favorite necklace that had a key on the chain. I applied cateye makeup and brushed my hair, making sure the strand that I had died crimson was visible.

After eating a very late breakfast, I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door to find my best friend Sophia. She was a teacher in training, and judging by the tired look on her face, she had just come back from her daycare shift.

"Hey Sophie," I said, closing the door and walking into the kitchen. "What's up?"

"Those preschoolers," Sophie started. "So cute but so violent." I laughed in response and sat down.

"Are you entering the Selection?" I asked.

"Yeah, I brought my form with me so we could fill it out together."

"Wait, how'd you know I was going to enter?"

"It's obvious, you have a huge crush on the Prince," Sophie stated. I tried not to blush, but it didn't work. My face was probably the color of a fire truck.

"I do not," I said, but I felt my face heat up even more.

"Sure," Sophie said sarcastically and we started filling out our forms. Afterwards, we went to the post office and waited in line for what seemed like days. In the post office, we got our pictures taken.

"Chinese?" Sophie asked.

"Sounds good," I replied. Sophie and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant at least once a week.

Being Selected would not only allow me to meet the Prince, but also get away from my parents.

Annabeth Grace Bree, 6, Dominica

I threw on my grey t-shirt and jeans. I ran my hands through my very light brown hair. Just from looking in the mirror, I could tell I was still half asleep. My blue eyes were still filled with sleep and I had a hard time keeping them open. But I had to get to work.

I ate a piece of toast and headed to the house I had to get to, absorbing the nature around me. I arrived at a huge mansion that probably belonged to a two. I checked the address on the paper that Mom had given me.

I knocked on the door and waited, letting the morning breeze blow my hair into my face. A tall woman answered the door and looked at me judgingly.

"Are you the maid?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied, trying to look as sweet as possible."

"You look a little young to be a maid," the woman said. I was only 5'2", leading people to believe I was 12.

"I'm 16, just pretty short," I said, smiling at the woman. She didn't smile back though.

"Ok well then, come on in-" the woman paused, trying to remember my name.

"Anna," I said.

"Ok, Anna, I need you to start with the basement first, then you can do the kitchen and the living room. When you're done with that, come back to me and I'll tell you what to do next."

I nodded and headed to the basement. I dusted, vacuumed, and sorted everything into neat piles. After finishing the basement, kitchen, and living room. I found to woman, who gave me even more rooms to clean.

Four hours later, I was finally done cleaning the house. I was itching to go outside, and I couldn't stand staying inside any longer. I waited for the woman to pay me, and then I practically sprinted out the door into the breeze. I immediately relaxed and walked home.

My brother Aiden and my mom were eating lunch at the table. Dad was in the hospital again, since he had cancer. It really took a toll on our family and none of us were really in a good mood anymore.

"Hey guys," I sat down at the table and ate a sandwich Mom made for me.

"Hi Anna. How was work?" Mom asked.

"It was okay. I was cleaning a mansion. It took a long time though."

Mom nodded understandingly.

"Anna, do you want to play pirates after lunch?" Aiden asked.

"I'd love to," I said. We finished eating quickly and went outside to the treehouse Dad had built us. It was pretty small, but we loved playing in it.

Aiden and I spent the next few hours playing pirates. Basically, I was the captain and he was my first mate, and we would use a piece of cardboard as our telescope to look for enemy ships and steal from them.

After we were exhausted, we went back inside.

"Anna, you got a letter today," Mom said, handing me an envelope.

I opened it and started reading.

"It's for the Selection," I said. "I don't think I will enter though."

"Why not?" Aiden said.

"Yeah, you should Anna. It could help pay for your father's treatment. Plus, we might be able to afford to send Aiden to school."

Mom made a good point. Dad really needed the money for his treatment. It could help cure him. And Aiden always wanted to go to school.

"Ok, I'll enter," I said. Mom and Aiden clapped and handed me a pen.

I filled it out quickly and raced to the post office before it closed.

The line was very short, as the post office was closing soon. There were so many girls there, and almost all of them were from the higher castes.

Inside the post office, I got my picture taken. Afterwards, I ran back home and played Monopoly with Mom and Aiden.

I had to be Selected, it would make our family happy again.

 **Hey guys! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and/or submitted characters!**

 **I have 29 characters so we're almost there! Keep submitting!**

 **Also, a special shout out to** jenhen48 **, who has submitted 5 characters!**

 **~Demigod18**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 12**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Calliope Lilith Evers, 3, Panama

I was watching the Report with my friend Chase when the Selection was announced.

"Are you entering?" Chase asked.

"Maybe," I shrugged. "The Prince is pretty good looking, but really boring too. I'd like to see what he's like in real life."

Chase nodded. "I'm so glad work is over for the week," he groaned and flopped onto the couch.

"Me too. I was starting to get sick of Mrs. Willison," I replied, thinking of the cranky old lady that I (unfortunately) was assigned to take care of.

"Oh yeah, I heard her yelling at you yesterday," Chase broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Not cool," I said, punching him on the arm.

"Geez," Chase said, looking offended. "That hurt." I rolled my eyes and continued watching.

"Hey, you wanna get dinner?" Chase asked.

"Sure," I got up and followed Chase out the door. Luckily my parents weren't home, so I didn't have to worry about them yelling at me. They were gone for the weekend.

Chase and I slid into a booth at our favorite Mexican restaurant. As Chase looked at the menu, I broke off the top of the straw wrapper and slid the wrapper halfway down the straw. I took a big breath and blew as hard as I could into the straw, causing the wrapper to hit the oblivious Chase right between the eyes. I chuckled as Chase narrowed his green eyes at me. In response, I narrowed my blue grey upturned eyes at him.

"Game on," he said. He blew his straw wrapper at me, but I dodged it, causing it to hit the person behind me in the back of her head. I suppressed my laughter as the woman turned around to glare at Chase.

"Sorry Ma'am," Chase flashed his winning smile at the lady, who didn't look too happy.

The waiter came to our table and took our orders.

Before he left, Chase asked for one more thing. "Can we please have about ten straws?"

The waiter looked at Chase like he was crazy and left our table. He came back about 20 seconds later with a handful of straws. We immediately grabbed them and started blowing the wrappers at each other. Only about two of mine hit Chase, and only one of his hit me. By the time we were done, the floor around us and our table were covered in bent straw wrappers. Chase held up his last straw, and blew it at me, hitting me on the nose.

"I really hate you sometimes," I said to him.

"Thank you. I could say the same about you," he replied.

After a dinner of enchiladas and fried ice cream, Chase and I headed back to my house. After playing a few card games (which I beat him at), Chase went back home and I went to bed.

The next morning, I went downstairs and toasted some frozen waffles for breakfast. I watched my favorite TV shows that I had recorded and sat down to call Chase.

Before I could dial his number, I heard the mailman slip the mail through the slot in our front door. I went over to go collect it, and opened the door to find another package.

"Thank you!" I called to the mailman, who smiled at me. I inspected the package, and reached the conclusion that it was probably makeup that Mom ordered.

After realizing it was past noon, I decided to actually get ready. I threw on a floral green sundress that reached just below my knees and put on a pair of green flats. I brushed through my jet black hair, which was naturally a hazel color, and put it in a braided updo.

I went back downstairs and sorted through the mail. I found a crisp white envelope, which I eventually realized was for the Selection.

I opened it and read through the letter. I decided to enter. I did kind of want to meet the Prince anyways.

I filled out the form and took it to the post office. A long line of girls awaited me, and it took me about five minutes to locate the end of the line. I stood in line for almost three hours, and by the time I was inside the post office, my legs were sore from standing up. I got my picture taken and walked back home.

As I called Chase, I thought about being in the Selection. It would be great.

I really wanted to be in the Selection. It would be a chance to win the Prince's heart.

Carolina Joy Davis, 5, Kent

I woke up early in the morning, like I usually did. I changed into my best clothes, because today was the day that my work would be featured in Dad's gallery. I was so excited, and this could be my big break. I brushed through my frizzy red hair. My bright light green eyes were filled with excitement as I walked downstairs to the kitchen. No one was awake yet, so I decided to go for a walk. I went to the pond near our house, and sat down to watch the sunrise. Everything seemed peaceful. After a few hours, I went back home.

"Hi sweetie," Dad greeted me. He was reading the Sports section of the newspaper. Dad and I were a lot alike. We were both quiet and soft spoken, while everyone else in the house was energetic and loud, especially Mom. Even though she still loved me, Mom tended to forget about me a lot. "You look nice today."

"Thanks Dad," I kissed him on his cheek.

"Are you ready?" Dad asked.

"Definitely," I smiled. Everyone in the family was going to go to the gallery today for my first exhibit.

Dakota waltzed into the room, singing the newest song she had written. Dakota and I were really close. We shared the same room, so we told each other everything and Dakota would always ask for advice. We are pretty similar, and not just because we are both named after provinces. I was named Carolina because that's where Mom was from and Dakota is where Dad was from.

I ate breakfast with the whole family: Mom, Dad, Flynn, Allie, Dakota, Lucas, and Austin. As we were leaving the house, Allie pulled me aside.

"Good luck," she smiled at me. Allie was definitely my favorite sibling. I felt like I could be myself around her and tell her everything.

At the gallery, I headed straight to where my exhibit was. My pictures looked beautiful, with the sunset, flowers, and ocean. I loved them.

Lucas didn't. He kept asking if Dad would put up his paintings instead. I loved Lucas, but we weren't really close, and he bothered me a lot sometimes.

Flynn's friend Ryan walked into the door and met up with Flynn by my picture of the ducks. I knew I had fallen hard for Ryan. He and Flynn had become friends a couple of years ago, and ever since then, I had a crush on him. Now, I was head over heels for him. With his dark hair, blue eyes, and mischievous smile, I couldn't help but fall in love with him.

The gallery opened and people started flowing in. Everyone loved my work, and I got so much positive feedback. I couldn't have been happier. I was excited enough to have the courage to actually talk to people.

At the end of the day, Mom, Dakota, Allie, Lucas, and Austin left the gallery to prepare dinner while Dad, Flynn, and I closed up, with Ryan's help. I locked the door when Ryan came up to me.

"Hey C.J." Ryan smiled, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hi," I said, blushing furiously. Ryan walked down the exhibit, absorbing each of my pictures.

"They're beautiful," he said, smiling.

"Thank you."

"I love the one with the sunrise over the mountain."

"That's my favorite too," I said. "I spent the entire day there taking pictures." I chuckled at the memory.

Ryan laughed too, which was a beautiful sound. "I bet."

"So how's basketball going?" I asked him. Ryan was from a family of two's and they were pretty much all athletes.

"Great, we won our last game 24-2."

I didn't know much about basketball, but I was pretty sure that was a good thing. "That's great."

I looked up to see Ryan bending down. It took me a minute to process that he was kissing me. I stood there, frozen in shock, before kissing him back. It was what I always dreamed of, but better. I now knew that I was definitely in love with him. I had been wanting this for so long.

I felt like fireworks were being set off in my stomach as Ryan deepened the kiss. He suddenly pushed me onto a bench until he was basically lying on top of me. I felt his hands reach for the bottom of my shirt.

I broke away from the kiss and tried to scream, but he clamped his hand over my mouth. He tried to pull my shirt off, but I kicked and pushed him as hard as I could.

"Hey Callie, are-" I saw Flynn walk into the gallery out of the corner of my eye.

"What the heck?!" Flynn raced over to Ryan and punched him. Ryan fell onto the wooden floor.

"You *******!" Flynn yelled. He kicked Ryan in the stomach and came over to me. I was still paralyzed with fear and I couldn't move.

"You okay Callie?" Flynn's green eyes were filled with worry. I managed a small nod, but I really wasn't on the inside.

Ryan got up, looking furious. "I swear, I will make sure your stupid gallery will fail and you will never get another commission again!" He sprinted out of the room.

I knew what he said was true. His family was very influential and could do whatever they wanted. He could ruin our family's livelihood.

I started crying. "This is all my fault," I wept. "What is Dad going to do now?"

"No, listen," Flynn comforted. "It's not your fault, it's Ryan's. That jerk!" Flynn blew up with anger again. I could tell he was searching for something to punch.

Dad walked into the room and noticed me crying. He immediately sat down next to me and hugged me. "What's wrong?" I tried speaking but I couldn't get any words out. Flynn led Dad out of the exhibit and explained the story to him. Dad walked back in, an angry look on his face.

"Don't worry sweetie. He's not going to do anything to us," Dad hugged me again and led me out of the room. Flynn finished closing the gallery and we left. By then, the tears had stopped flowing but I still couldn't talk.

At home, everyone immediately sensed something was wrong. They started bombarding me with questions about what happened. I still couldn't talk, so Dad told Mom while Flynn told Allie and Dakota. After hearing the story, they tackled me into a group hug, forcing a smile on my face. I went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face, and came back down for dinner.

Dinner was loud and exciting, like always. After dinner, Mom handed me an envelope. "For the Selection," she said. I was about to recycle the envelope when Dakota came bounding into the room. "You're entering," she stated.

"No, I'm not," I replied.

"Why not, it'll be fun," Dakota said.

"Why don't you enter?" I asked.

"I wish I could, but I'm not quite old enough. Allie already filled hers out."

"Well what's the point of me entering if Allie entered?" Allie was much prettier than I was, and I stood no chance against her.

"Oh come on," Dakota sighed dramatically. "You look a lot like her. If you think she'll be Selected, you have a good chance too."

"Ok fine," I said, but Dakota wasn't what convinced me. I remembered Ryan's promise to ruin the gallery. If I was Selected, then we wouldn't have to worry about money."

I filled out the form, and Allie took me to the post office. After about an hour, we finally got inside the post office. Allie got her picture taken, and she looked flawless, like always. I got on the stool immediately after her, and mustered the best smile I could. Allie and I walked back home, just in time for apple pie and ice cream.

I needed to be Selected. It would keep us from living off the streets.

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and/or submitted characters!**

 **So I decided to use** jenhen48 **'s idea and instead of eliminating characters you guys have worked so hard on, I filled up the last four spots with random names. Those four girls will be the first to be eliminated. So this means the SYOC is closed!**

 **Also, if your character hasn't been introduced yet, they will be after the next Report happens.**

 **~Demigod18**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 13**

 **I do not own the Selection**

 **Logan's POV**

I lay in bed staring at the stars through my window all night, unable to fall asleep. I was so nervous for the Report, after all one of those girls would most likely be my future wife.

The next morning, the sunlight streamed through the enormous windows in my room. I got out of bed and stretched. I changed into my light grey suit and went downstairs for breakfast. Mom smiled warmly at me and Dad gave a nod of approval. Wyatt mouthed Good Luck. Savannah flashed me a sympathetic look. Aaron and Belle obviously didn't understand what was going on because they were as energetic as ever.

"You can't catch me!" Belle screamed and giggled as Aaron chased her around the table.

"I'm faster than you!" Aaron yelled back, gaining speed.

Right before Aaron could catch Belle, Mom smiled and interrupted their fun. "Okay you two, that's enough."

Belle and Aaron groaned, and Belle went to sit on Mom's lap. Aaron returned to eating his pancakes.

"Mommy, why are there so many envelopes in the living room?" Belle asked.

"Because Logan is going to pick the girls for his Selection." Mom replied.

"Why?"

"So he can choose the future queen."

"Why?"

"Because Logan will become the King soon."

"Why?" Belle kept asking 'why' for the next 5 minutes until Jessica got annoyed and almost yelled at her. But Belle's adorable expression kept her from getting too angry.

After we finished breakfast, Wyatt suggested we all go to the pool. Mom put Belle into her bright pink swimsuit and floaties and the rest of us put on our swimsuits.

Outside, Wyatt and I jumped off the diving board while Savannah and Jessica started a race. Aaron and Belle chased each other around the 2 foot pool.

After a while, we were all exhausted. We got out of the pool and showered before I was supposed to select the envelopes. I changed back into my neatly ironed suit and met Mom, Dad, Belle, and Savannah in the living room.

"Hey Anna," I said, using the childhood nickname that Wyatt used to call her.

"Hey, you ready for this?" Savannah asked, looking genuinely sympathetic. She was wearing a light pink a-line chiffon dress with spaghetti straps and gold high heels. She had a key necklace that Grandma America gave her and matching earrings.

Wyatt and Aaron walked into the room, Jessica right behind them. Wyatt was telling Aaron jokes, as my little brother was laughing so hard that his face looked like a tomato. Jessica was texting Princess Audrey, her friend who was the heir to the French throne.

"Ok guys, it's time to record!" A cameraman named Derek called. I turned my attention towards the table set up on the edge of the room. 35 gigantic baskets were stuffed to the brim with envelopes, one for each province. The baskets were practically bulging with envelopes and they looked like they would explode any moment. I put on my best smile, and walked up to the table, trying not to show my nervousness in front of the camera.

I heard the countdown and the green light on the cameras turned on. I waited for Dad to introduce what was going on and tried to pull my confidence together.

I walked all the way to the left side of the table to the basket labeled Allens. I pulled an envelope from the very bottom of the basket, causing at least 10 envelopes to fall out of the basket. I moved on to Angeles, swirling my hand around the basket, emerging with three envelopes in my hand. I let two of them drop and gave the last one to Belle, who was starting a stack on the floor, with Mom watching over her carefully.

I continued through the baskets, picking each envelope out differently. I even let Belle and Aaron help me pick out a few, much to their delight.

After we were done, Dad finished the video and the cameramen started to clean up the remaining envelopes. The clip would be shown during the Report, right before the names would be announced.

We went upstairs to get ready for 15 minutes before the Report. Belle ran into my room and insisted on me giving her a piggy back ride, since Savannah was in the middle of reading an ancient book called Harvey Porter or something like that. Some weird name.

Belle rode on my back down 3 floors of stairs, giggling and screaming "Giddy up horsie!" I tilted her upside down and spun around until her face turned a deep shade of red. I took my seat in the Report room, next to Wyatt and Jessica.

"Why so nervous?" Wyatt asked, obviously seeing my worried expression. "It's only your future wife." Wyatt flashed me his signature cocky grin and gave me the thumbs up. I smiled weakly. Savannah and Jessica walked into the room, with Mom and Aaron following them. Dad walked back from talking to Sophia Fadaye, Gavril's granddaughter. Sophia signaled everyone to go to their seats, and the countdown started.

Sophia flashed a pearly white smile, and started talking about rebel activity and finances. Then, the clip from earlier rolled and we had a 10 minute break before names would be announced.

Everyone wished me good luck, even Belle, who had no idea what was going on. Mom and Dad said they were proud of me and we went back to our seats.

"And now, we will be announcing the names of the Selected!" Sophia said dramatically, grabbing a pile of envelopes handed to her by Mom.

"From Allens, we have Lady Lilianna Sadie Hudson, a three." A petite girl with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes flashed onto the screen. Her smile looked relaxed, but innocent and hopeful.

"From Angeles, Lady Chanda Farhani, a two." A tall, thin Pakistani girl appeared on the screen.

"From Atlin, Lady Everly Calista Faze, a six." A girl with pale skin and light blonde hair came up on the screen. Her grey eyes seemed slightly intimidated.

"From Baffin, Lady Silena Morgan Parker, a four." A girl with light brown hair and warm brown eyes flashed on the screen. She seemed warm and kind.

"From Bankston, Lady Marissa Jade Meyers, a three." The picture showed a girl with hazel colored hair and hazel eyes.

"From Belcourt, Lady Rose Madelyn Woods, a four." A girl with chocolate brown hair and caramel highlights, and grey eyes appeared. From the smile in her eyes, I could tell she was energetic and bubbly.

"From Bonita, we have Lady Circe Alessandra Michaelides, a one." I was confused when Sophia announced that she was a one. At first I thought I heard wrong. I looked at the picture of the girl with beeline blonde hair and porcelain skin and recognized her as the despotess (duchess) of Greece. I remembered seeing a picture of her in a royalty book Mom showed me.

"From Carolina, Lady Eden Rose Dawn, a three." The girl on the screen had wavy dirty blonde hair and beautiful sparkly bluish grey eyes.

"From Calgary, Lady Aralynn Rhiannon Darke, a two." A girl with wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and sun kissed skin appeared on the screen. She looked painfully thin and she seemed to be covering up sadness and anger.

"From Clermont, Lady Avery Lane Kingston, a seven." Avery had reddish brown hair and almond shaped eyes. She had one bright green eye and the other was light caramel brown. It looked really cool.

"From Columbia, Lady Cara Louise Swan, a three." The picture on the screen depicted a girl with pale skin, blonde hair, and grey blue eyes.

"From Dakota, Lady Morgan Kristopher Jennings, a three." Morgan had honey colored skin, warm hazel eyes, and light brown hair.

"From Denbeigh, Lady Eleanor Ashley Taylor, a five." The girl on the screen barely looked like she was wearing clothes, from the strapless top to the very short shorts. Her honey blonde hair looked unnatural. She had very dark brown eyes. I didn't know how she could stand it, especially in this cold weather.

"From Dominica, Lady Annabeth Grace Bree, a six." Annabeth had light brown hair and wide blue eyes. She looked like more of an outdoor person, judging by the leaf in her hair and the grass stains on her jeans and grey t-shirt.

"From Fennley, Lady Autumn Kanley Khuu, a five." Autumn had tanned skin, almost black hair, and dark brown eyes. Her smile seemed genuine and kind.

"From Hansport, we have Lady Stella Phoebe Eurena, a four." Stella had a slight tan, and her skin had a few blemishes that were from the sun. She had dark forest green eyes. Her hair was ombre, going from chocolate brown to caramel blonde at the bottom. However, I could tell it was natural rather than dyed.

"From Honduragua, Lady Olivia Vanessa Carlton, a six." The screen showed a petite girl with platinum blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She looked innocent and shy.

"From Hundson, Lady Caspian Abbey Blue, a seven." Caspian had wavy, thick light brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes with specks of green and gold embedded in them. She was pretty tanned, with sun freckles around her eyes.

"From Kent, we have Lady Carolina Joy Davis, a five." Carolina had thick, frizzy, curly light red hair and bright light green eyes.

"From Labrador, Lady Ashley Jane Carter, a two." The picture of Ashley was obviously not taken in the post office, but it was set outside. Ashley was standing in a meadow and gazing at a butterfly on her finger. She had lightly tanned skin, long wavy blonde hair, and blue grey eyes.

"From Lakedon, Lady Luna Grace Meyers, a five." Luna had bright blue eyes that stood out and caramel colored hair. She looked pretty skinny, but she was a five after all.

"From Likely, Lady Samantha Paige Reynolds, a two." Samantha had very dark brown, almost black curly long hair and dark blue eyes the color of a midnight sky. She had an athletic air about her.

"From Midston, Lady Stephanie Lauren Flynt, a four." The girl on the screen had olive colored skin, dark forest green eyes, and long black curly hair. She looked like she was trying to hide a smirk through her smile.

"From Ottaro, Lady Piper Ocean Ellison, a two." Piper had tanned freckled skin, turquoise eyes, which ironically reminded me of the ocean, and long straight chocolate brown hair.

"From Paloma, Lady Molly Little, a two." Molly had jet black hair and electric blue eyes. She also looked like she was smirking, but she didn't try to hide it.

"From Panama Lady Calliope Lilith Evers, a three." A very petite girl with upturned almond shaped greyish blue eyes and jet black hair appeared on the screen.

"From Sonage, Lady Eris von Justice, a two." Eris had blonde hair and turquoise eyes. Her expression looked like she was hiding a secret.

"From Sota, Lady Anissa Azalea Laila Adel, a three." Anissa had light green eyes with a golden brown ring around the pupil, and think wavy dark brown hair that reached her waist.

"From St. George, Lady Sarafinn Dina Clark, a 6." Sarafinn had lightly tanned skin, light brown medium length hair, and brown eyes with specks green.

"From Sumner, Lady Skylar Emily Oakley, a five." Skylar had bright violet eyes that were lit up with happiness and gold colored hair. I could tell she was excited as it looked like she was practically bouncing off of her stool.

"From Tammins, Lady Nala-Rose Elric, an eight." I could barely hear the gasps of shock through my own surprise. How did she even get a form? I had nothing against eight unlike other members of my family, but I didn't expect this to happen. I tried to mask my reaction from the cameras by plastering on my smile again. Nala-Rose had tanned skin, golden hair, and green grey eyes. Her hair looked practically brown at the roots, most likely from sun exposure. Her face was smudged with dirt and her white tank top looked practically brown. However, she seemed so happy I couldn't help but smile at her picture.

"From Waverly, Lady Mackenzie Mae Dawson, a four." Mackenzie had light grey eyes and wavy blonde hair. She looked sweet and innocent.

"From Whites, Lady Jennifer Ivanoff, a three." The girl on the screen had hazel colored eyes and brown hair that went down to her waist. Her skin was fairly tanned.

"From Yukon, Lady Almeda Mapiya Begay, a seven." Almeda had raven black hair, dark brown eyes, and dark skin. She also looked innocent but also bright and energetic.

"And finally, from Zuni, Lady Riley Jenessa Crespo, a seven." Riley had porcelain skin, bright blue eyes, and wavy black hair.

"That's all for today folks!" Sophia smiled. "The Selected will be arriving in a few days, so make sure to tune in next week for special interviews and previews!" Sophia kept her smile until the buzzer went off. All of us got out of our seats and the room filled with voices. I was still feeling a little dizzy.

"What do you think Logan?" Dad asked. "I instantly snapped out of my thoughts.

"What?" I said, probably sounding very unintelligent.

"We should give the Selected a day of before they meet us."

"Yeah, sure." I said, instantly spacing out again.

Even though it was almost pitch black outside, I decided I needed to take my mind off of things. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyways.

I went out to the stables and opened the door. I greeted the stable man, Jack, and went to my horse's stall.

"Hey Thunderbolt," I said, stroking her soft grey mane. She was named for her incredible speed. She stared affectionately at me with her bright blue eyes. I led her out of the stable and got on her back, not even bothering to put on a saddle.

I walked down the path for a while before taking Thunderbolt to a canter. Everything passed by me in a blur. I kept riding for countless minutes, letting all of the stress escape me. We went past the palace and deep into the forest.

I finally slowed Thunderbolt down to a walk and we both recovered our breaths. We rode in silence, I occasionally stroking her mane.

After I while I heard a rustling sound behind us. I turned around but I couldn't see anything in the dark. I slowed Thunderbolt down even more to the point where I could barely hear her hooves hit the ground. I heard it again-it seemed to be coming from the trees. I got off of my horse's back and peered through the bushes and trees, trying to find what the sound was.

Through a bush, I saw a pair of beady black eyes. I instantly jumped back and immediately got on Thunderbolt's back. The man came out from behind the bushes. He had on a dirty white shirt and ripped jeans. He was smiling maliciously and had a black ski mask covering his face. But the part that bothered me was that he had a gun, pointed straight at me. I turned Thunderbolt around and we galloped back to the palace. I heard a few gunshots, but nothing hit us. From behind us, I heard the man say "We'll be back!"

Back in the safety of the stables, I put Thunderbolt back in her stall and fed her an apple. I could see the fear in her eyes. I stroked her mane softly again until she seemed to calm down. I smiled at her and made sure everything was locked up before sprinting back to the palace.

The palace was pretty much dead. All of my siblings were sleeping and there were few maids in sight. It was pretty late though. I raced up to the third floor, where all of the bedrooms were, and knocked on my parent's door.

"Come in," Mom said. I walked in the room to find Mom and Dad watching TV. They saw me enter the room and paused whatever they were watching.

"What do you need, sweetie?" Mom asked, curiosity and concern filling her and Dad's eyes.

"The rebels," I panted, out of breath. "They're back."

 **Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed!**

 **The competition will start soon. With the exception of the first elimination, I am going to let you guys choose who wins and who gets eliminated through polls. I'll tell you when I post one and be sure to vote.**

 **~Demigod18**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 14**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Everly Calista Faze

I woke up to the sound of Sawyer's soft snores and the bright rays of sun pouring into our small bedroom. I stretched and smiled, which quickly turned into a frown when I realized what day it was.

Today was the day I was leaving. To the palace. To meet the royals. Even after four days, this hadn't quite registered yet. I couldn't say I was too sad to leave Nikolina, but I felt terrible for leaving my innocent little sister.

 _This is for Sawyer,_ I reminded myself. _Just get the money and leave._

I picked up the small bag I had packed with all my possessions. I brought a few photos of Sawyer and I, and even one of us with Nikolina. I also brought a few records that my so called father produced. I brought the beaded necklace Sawyer gave me when she was 5 for my birthday. Also, I put in a few pairs of my torn jeans, a couple of tank tops, and hunting shoes for when I didn't feel like dresses (which would probably be a lot).

I put on the white, lacy, long sleeved shirt the representative had given me and the black pants. I tucked a purple hydrangea behind my right ear, Atlin's flower.

I tiptoed out of the room and to the kitchen, careful to not wake anyone up. I ate an almost expired yogurt cup and overripe banana.

Sawyer practically ran into the kitchen, causing Nikolina to wake up. I heard a groan come from the direction of her bedroom.

"Don't leave, don't leave!" Sawyer cried, tackling me into a bear hug.

I felt like I would cry too, but I blinked back the tears and hugged her back. "I'll be back soon, and then you can go to school." I tried to sound enthusiastic, but I didn't think I could survive without Sawyer.

Nikolina walked into the kitchen, barely even glancing in our direction, and grabbed a bottle of wine, drowning a fourth of it in one gulp.

Sawyer finally let go of me, but her eyes were still red. I smiled sadly at her and sat down at the table.

After I had given Sawyer breakfast, I heard a knock at our door.

"Hey Dallas," I said, opening the door so he could come in.

"Hi," he replied, walking into the kitchen and ruffling Sawyer's hair. "When are you leaving?"

"Pretty soon," I said, glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall.

"Be sure to write to me from the palace," he said. "I'd like to know how cute the prince is in real life." He grinned cockily as Sawyer broke out into laughter.

I gave him a death glare. "He's probably cuter than you."

Dallas raised a hand to his chest and looked at me with wide eyes, trying to look mock offended. "Wow Ever," he started. "That was rude."

"You deserved it," I smiled winningly at him and pulled on my worn out dress shoes. Unfortunately, they were too small, causing my toes to ache after two minutes.

The representative who had visited just days earlier, Jillian, walked through our open door.

"Are you ready to leave?" She asked.

"I guess," I said. I followed her out the door, with Sawyer, Dallas, and even Nikolina right behind me.

The whole street was covered in people chanting my name and holding up signs. Down the street, I saw a long, shiny, black limo waiting for me.

It seemed like all of Atlin was here to see me off. The atmosphere was friendly and happy.

I hugged Sawyer and Dallas one last time. Even Nikolina smiled at me.

"I'll write to you every day," I promised them.

I hugged everyone again and followed Jillian down the street.

"Goodbye!" Sawyer shouted at the top of her lungs. I looked back and smiled, making a heart shape with my fingers.

The limo was the coolest thing I had ever been in. There was a TV and several magazines to read.

I turned on the TV to some cartoon I had occasionally seen at the diner. I wasn't really paying attention, as I was thinking about the palace and Sawyer.

I slowly drifted off to sleep, already tired from my thoughts.

"Ever, wake up. We're at the airport," Jillian's voice cut into my sleep and I slowly sat up, my vision still blurry.

"What?" I asked, still half asleep.

"We're at the airport."

"Oh ok," I rubbed my eyes and stretched before getting out of the car and following Jillian into the airport.

I was so excited to ride a plane. I had never been on one before, and had only seen one once or twice. The only problem was that I had a fear of heights. I reassured myself that I would be okay.

Inside the airport, Jillian dropped me off with three other girls and whisked away to who knows where.

A girl with dark brown hair and tanned skin introduced herself first. "I'm Autumn, but just call me Fall. Everyone does." Fall seemed nice, but I could tell she wasn't one to mess with. I could tell we would get along already.

"I'm Everly, but I go by Ever," I tucked my pale blonde hair behind my ear and shook everyone's hand.

"I'm Silena, but call me Lena," the brown haired girl with warm brown eyes smiled.

The last girl was pretty short, and had light brown hair and brownish green eyes with hints of gold. "I'm Sarafinn, call me Finn," she said. "Or Sara if you want."

"So, are you guys excited?" Lena asked.

"I guess," I replied first. "But I'm mostly doing this to help out my sister. We're sixes."

"Oh," Lena nodded understandingly.

"Same with me," added Autumn. "I'm a seven." I instantly felt bad for her. It was bad enough being a six, I couldn't even imagine being a seven.

"Me too," added Sarafinn. "I'm also a six."

"I'm a four," Lena said. I could tell it was a little awkward for her, being in one of the higher castes when the rest of us were in low castes.

"I just entered because I thought it would be a good opportunity," Lena played with the chain on her necklace, which I realized had a horse.

"Do you like horses?" I asked.

"Yes, I LOVE them!" Silena gushed. "They are almost literally my life!" From the dreamy expression on her face, I could tell Lena could talk about horses all day.

"Ladies, it's time to board the plane," Jillian and the other representatives rushed us to the gate and onto the palace jet. It was so luxurious, with carts of desserts in one side, miniature TV's, and leather seats.

I sat down next to Autumn and we started talking.

"So, do you want to be the One?" I asked.

"I don't know yet. I don't really know how I feel about Logan yet. What about you?"

"Nah, I just want to get enough money to put my younger sister through school."

"Please buckle your seatbelts to prepare for takeoff." The pilot said over the intercom. I put on my seatbelt and looked out the window as the plane went down the runway. I suddenly felt a jerk and the plane tilted upwards. I clung to the seat for dear life as the plane raced into the air.

"You all right Ever?" Autumn looked concerned. "You look a little pale."

I managed a small nod and squeezed my eyes shut.

After what seemed like hours, the intercom turned on again. "You may now unbuckle your seatbelts and stand up."

I relaxed and let go of the seat to find my hands a deathly shade of white. I looked out the window to find a sea of clouds underneath us. I immediately slammed the cover over the window and leaned back in my seat.

Autumn and I started talking and we ate a lot of dessert with Lena and Finn.

"We will begin landing in five minutes. Please get back in your seats." We all went back and buckled our seatbelts.

The pilot announced we were landing and I felt the plane jerk downwards. It wasn't as bad as takeoff, but I still clung onto the seat. Autumn tried to comfort me, as we had become pretty close in the last few hours.

I finally felt the plane hit the ground. It slowed down and pulled into the gate.

The pilots told us we could leave and we got out of the plane and walked into the airport. I could feel the warm Angeles breeze, which was very different from the cold weather in Atlin.

The representatives led us outside, where a limo was waiting for us. Swarms of people were waiting for is outside, kept out of our path by red velvet ropes. They clapped and smiled, holding up signs for us. Most of the signs were for Lena, and Autumn. I was surprised by this since most people didn't like lower castes. But Finn and I had plenty of signs too.

Lena seemed over the moon. She bounced around the crowd excitedly, signing autographs, shaking hands, and hugging people. The ear to ear smile never left her face.

Finn seemed pretty happy too, and she was pretty willing to interact with the people.

Autumn and I were both a little awkward. I liked people, and I was happy people brought signs to support me, but I just wasn't sure what to do.

I took a deep breath and smiled as I walked down the path. I signed autographs, took pictures with people and shook their hands.

I followed Lena into another black limo and we drove off.

"That was exciting!" Lena said, still smiling.

"Yeah," I agreed with her.

"Just a bit overwhelming though," Finn said.

"It's nice to know people are supporting you though." Autumn added. We nodded in agreement and continued to talk about the palace and what we thought it would be like.

"It'll be amazing," Lena adopted an expression similar to the one that appeared when I asked her about horses.

"Definitely," Finn said.

"So much food," Autumn said dreamily.

"And no work," I thought of being able to sleep in every day.

"Plus they have stables," Lena said excitedly.

At the palace, we got out of the limo tiredly, hoping we could just go to sleep. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

We barely had any time to gawk at the wonders of the palace around us. As soon as we set foot inside, representatives whisked us off for makeovers. I sighed and hoped this would be over soon as I was led into a room with endless amounts of clothes racks, shoes, jewelry, and makeover booths.

"Send her to 11!" A woman ran around the room, writing on her clipboard looking stressed.

Three girls came running up to me, one of them practically bouncing with excitement. One of them looked about my age, the other a couple years younger, and the excited one looked about 13.

"Hi, we're your maids!" the excited girl with blonde hair and wide blue eyes exclaimed.

"I'm Kendra, you're head maid," said the oldest one, who looked my age. She had dark brown eyes and red hair.

"I'm Fiona," a quiet voice said. She had dark hair and green eyes. She was beautiful enough to be in the Selection.

"And I'm Iris!" The blonde haired girl said. She was smiling so brightly, she reminded me of Sawyer.

"Hi, I'm Ever," I greeted smiling at them.

"So what do you want for your makeover?" Kendra asked, leading me to station 11. It took me a while to think of an answer.

"Maybe a rocker chic kind of look," I decided.

"Sounds good," Kendra said. I took a seat in front of a mirror with a sign that read "11".

"First of all, what do you want to do with your hair?" Kendra asked again, picking up random strands and observing it from different angles.

"Whatever you think is best," I replied, unable to think of a better answer. Kendra and Fiona consulted for a minute before starting.

"Do you mind if we cut some of it off and put some highlights in?" Fiona asked quietly. I could barely hear her over the noise. I shook my head and she brought out the scissors. I saw the blonde locks fall to the floor, but I couldn't see what they were doing since Iris had turned my chair around. Fiona took out a highlighting kit. She put my hair under a cap with slits on top for the highlights. She pulled sections of my hair through the slits and used a brush to spread the solution over my hair. She then took off the blue cap and put a shower cap on my head. Kendra nodded her approval and all three of them left to go pick out some clothes.

After about 20 minutes, Iris rushed back and pulled the cap off of my head. She started to style it. It felt a little weird since Iris was a good 3-4 years younger than me.

"I can take care of it," I said. Iris shook her head violently.

"This is my job," she said. "And I love it!" Iris finished styling my hair and spun my chair back around.

"Ta-da!" She practically screamed, causing a few people to look over at us.

My hair looked great. The highlights were dark blonde, giving my pale hair dimension. It was cut in a sloping, long, shaggy bob. It looked much more voluminous.

"And now your clothes!" Iris squealed as Kendra and Fiona returned with jewelry, shoes, and a dress. They led me to a changing room in the back and handed me the clothes.

I put the dress on and looked in the mirror. It was sleek and black, reaching the floor, showing off my waist with cutouts on the side. There was a metallic gold band around my waist. It had two slits at the bottom, showing my legs a little bit. I pulled on the black strappy heels, which were covered by the dress.

I walked out of the room to find the curious expressions of my three maids.

"What do you think?" Iris asked first.

"We know it wasn't really what you asked for, but we thought it would look great on you," Kendra explained.

"I love it! It's perfect," I replied crushing my maids into a hug. They led me back to the station for makeup. Kendra and Iris did most of my makeup. They eye makeup, lipstick, and contour around my cheekbones. Iris and Kendra smiled and took a few steps backward so I could see the mirror. My jaw dropped. I had on winged eyeliner, smokey eye makeup, nude lipstick, and contouring to enhance my cheekbones. I thanked my maids and hugged them again before they rushed me off to pick my signature scent. The cart was huge. I scanned the pile of perfumes, _Jasmine, Vanilla, Cotton Candy_. Finally, one caught my eye. _Exotic Passion_. Under the name it said _Manufactured in Bonita_. I sprayed it on my wrist, which I brought up to my nose to smell. I smiled immediately. It had strong notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and almond, but sweet undertones of vanilla, nutmeg, and spicy clove. It was perfect. I brought it back to Kendra, who sprayed it on me and took it.

I left the busy makeover room to get my picture taken. About half the girls were already there. I stood in line behind a girl with wavy black hair and blue eyes.

"Hey, I'm Ever," I introduced myself.

"I'm Riley," she said. "Ooh, I love your hair."

"Thanks," I replied. We started talking. I learned she was a seven, and a stripper, which surprised me. She said she hated her job though and only did it for the money. She reminded me a little of myself, we were both fireballs, and pretty stubborn. We became fast friends.

I went up to get my picture taken. I smiled for the photographer, and went to sit down next to Riley again. I met a few new people, Stella, Eris, and Ashley. They all seemed really nice so far.

After another hour, the royal planner, Krysten, came to show us our rooms. She had blonde hair similar to mine, and bright green eyes. She looked pretty young, only about five years older than us.

"Tomorrow will be the official tour of the palace after you meet the royal family. I will take you to your bedroom, where you'll eat dinner." Krysten said. She seemed pretty relaxed and nice.

Krysten led us up four flights of stairs, where there were forty guest bedrooms, thirty-five of which were occupied by the Selected. Luckily, my room was right next to Riley's.

I walked into the room and my jaw dropped. The room was blue and white. The walls were painted ocean blue, and the tile was white. A chandelier hung above two white sofas with blue pillows. A shaggy blue rug lay under a glass coffee table. A flat screen TV was mounted on the wall. I walked through a door on the left, which led to my bedroom. It was painted the same blue. The bed was a four poster canopy bed, with blue sheets and a blue canopy. Another chandelier hung in the middle of the room. The tile was the same, and the exact same rug lay at the foot of my bed, where my suitcase was placed. The bed was placed in the middle of the wall, so the sunlight streamed onto my bed. A white dresser with a mirror was in one corner, with a rolling chair. A bookshelf lay opposite the wall of the dresser. Next was the bathroom. It was also painted blue. A clawfoot bathtub was on one side, with a frosted glass shower next to it. The toilet was on the other side. The sink was in the middle, which was white and had plenty of storage space. Everything looked so clean, I was afraid to touch it.

I looked out the window in my bedroom, which had a view facing east. I had a nice view of flowers on the side, which made me wonder what the actual gardens looked like. I went back into the living room where Iris, Kendra, and Fiona were waiting for me, making dresses. They must have walked in when I was exploring the bedroom.

"Hey guys," I smiled. Iris jumped up and hugged me.

A waiter brought up a large cart of food, which I willingly shared with my maids. There was chicken, salad, and several side dishes. I was so full afterwards, I didn't even think I could stand up.

Fiona gave me a light blue nightgown, which I changed into. It was made out of silk, so it was really comfortable. Iris removed my makeup and I got into bed after saying goodnight. They left my room and turned off the light.

I slowly drifted off to bed, tired from my long day. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, thinking of Sawyer's reaction if she saw the palace.

 **Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and/or following! I really appreciate it.**

 **Happy late birthday to** just-add-a-dash-of-savvy **! That's why this chapter was from Ever's point of view.**

 **~Demigod18**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 15**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Eris von Justice, 2, Sonage

My pillow with a built in alarm clock vibrated at 7:00 in the morning. I stretched and smiled. I was now officially on a mission.

I hadn't even entered the Selection, but the palace hired Galaxy and I to come to the palace. I was the perfect spy to hire, since I was the perfect age, and I could pass for being one of the Selected.

There had been abnormal reports of rebel activity recently, and the King and Queen needed it to stop, since the Selection would be happening soon. So they hired my brother Galaxy as a "palace guard" and reserved my name under Sonage.

I packed all my equipment in my small, travel size suitcase. I included my laser pen, my lightweight outfits, and my binoculars, which were disguised under my beanie.

I pulled on the special lightweight white shirt the representative had given me and the black pants that allowed full movement of my limbs. I put on my high heels, which really had spikes on the bottom that could cause serious injury.

I remembered the day a week ago when I first heard of the case.

 _I had originally thought this was a normal case. When he got the call, I heard Galaxy's surprised shouts. After the official had hung up, he dropped the phone and raced into the living room where I was eating mint chocolate chip ice cream with our cat, Chocola._

 _"What is it?" I asked._

 _"The Seal, it's been stolen. The Royals suspect the rebels," Galaxy._

 _"What?" I dropped my spoon on the carpet. Chocola meowed in disapproval. "But don't they need the Seal to stamp the paper that declares the winner of the Selection as the prince's wife?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"And doesn't an old law say no one can ascend to throne without the stamp of approval from the Seal?"_

 _"Uh-huh."_

 _"Oh my god, we need to go now!" I picked up Chocola and ran to my room to pack._

I put Chocola in my bag. I knew she would stay quiet, and the Royals had agreed to let her come. We had also arranged for my friends who I had grown up with to be my maids. They could help me with any mission.

Galaxy came downstairs in a guard uniform. We ate breakfast and made sure everything was secure before we left the house.

Galaxy snuck out the back, as to not draw any attention to the crowd outside. He was already in the limo when I stepped out of the house.

Everyone cheered as I walked outside and down the street. I smiled and looked as inconspicuous as I could, which I was used to by now.

I got into the limo where Galaxy was waiting. I pulled the mission files out of my bag and scanned through them.

At the airport, I saw the other three girls on my plane waiting for me. One of them had a kind face, with tan skin that had a few sun blemishes, dark forest green eyes, and natural ombre hair, going from brown to blonde. I recognized her immediately as Stella Phoebe Eurena from Hansport.

Another had long, jet black hair and blue eyes. She gave off the impression that she thought she was better than us. She was Molly Little, a two from Paloma.

The last one had hazel eyes and waist length brown hair. From the lab coat, I guessed she was Jennifer Ivanoff, from Whites.

I introduced myself but made sure to keep my distance so no one would get too close to me. On the plane, I sat by myself in the back and discreetly looked over the case files once again. I could hear Stella and Jennifer getting along well, while Molly rolled her eyes at everything they said behind them. I ignored them as I looked over a secret map of the palace.

After a couple hours, we finally landed and got off the plane. We walked out of the airport, where mobs of people were holding up signs and chanting our names. Most signs were for Stella, which I wasn't surprised by, since she was so kind to people. There were quite a few for Jenni too. There were a few for me, which I was grateful for. I signed some autographs, but was careful not to take too many pictures. I followed Molly into yet another limo and we drove to the palace.

We walked into the double doors of the enormous structure. I wasn't surprised, I had been in the palace a few times before for other missions. I pretended to look surprised too as I glanced around. I immediately spotted a secret passage in the wall, covered up by a painting.

It wasn't long before we were ushered to a room that smelled of perfume and hairspray.

"13," a woman pointed at me. The representative nodded and my three friends came up to me. They pretended to act like they had never met me before, since we were in front of all the other girls, but once they led me away, they acted like themselves again.

"So, what do you want for your makeover?" Flora asked. She was the combat expert of the group. I merely shrugged and sat in the comfortable chair. Flora and Kizakura walked away as Marlene began to do my hair. Kizakura was an expert at identifying poisons, and is the best cook in Sonage. Marlene was the best spy out of all of them, as well as the best messenger.

Marlene cut about four inches off of my long blonde hair. She applied some hair product that made it much smoother. She then began to apply light makeup. She put on a little mascara, eyeliner, and light pink lipstick.

Kizakura and Flora returned with a turquoise dress that matched my eyes. They also held a pair of gold high heels and a gold heart locket.

They handed it to me and led me to a dressing room. I put on the dress first, which allowed full movement of my limbs. The high heels were similar to the ones I had on before, just a different color. The locket had a container of poison inside. I walked out of the dressing room and smiled at my "maids".

They ushered me over to the perfume cart. "No thank you," I wrinkled my nose in disgust. They nodded understandingly and told me to go wait in line to get my picture taken.

The photographer smiled at me as I walked in front of the white screen. I smiled brilliantly and he snapped my picture. I thanked him and went over to sit on a recliner. I talked to the other girls but made sure not to reveal anything about my true self.

By the end of the day, I knew I was going to have to remind myself that I was here for a mission, not for the Selection.

Eden Rose Dawn, 3, Carolina

I woke up to Kayla jumping on my bed and her giggles. I moaned sleepily and put my pillow over my head, hoping to drown out the noise.

"Get up silly!" Kayla said. "You're leaving today!" I immediately sat up, even though my eyes were barely open.

The first thing I saw was my sister's vibrant curly red hair flopping around her head as she jumped on my mattress. Her sea green eyes were lit up with excitement, even more than normal.

Kayla and I barely looked like we were related, but we were best friends. She had flaming red hair and beautiful green eyes, while I had dirty blonde hair and bluish grey eyes.

"Are you ready to meet the Prince?" Kayla asked. I nodded. Even though I signed up for fun, I still had a small crush on Prince Logan.

I slipped out of bed and into the shower, the cold water shocking me awake. I put on the lacey white top and black leggings, as the representative told me to wear. I tucked a carnation behind my ear and pulled on black flats. I brushed my long hair and put it into a french braid. Lastly, I applied makeup; foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss. I put on a black bracelet and grabbed my bag. I took one last look at my room and headed downstairs.

Mom and Dad were already in the kitchen. A plate full of eggs and pancakes was waiting for me on the counter.

"Good morning guys!" I hugged everyone and sat next to Kayla, scarfing down my breakfast.

"Good morning honey," Mom smiled. "Are you ready to leave?"

"No," I replied. I really didn't want to leave my family, they meant everything to me. I couldn't imagine not being around Kayla every day.

I heard a knock at the door, and Dad immediately went to answer it.

Miley, my best friend, walked into the kitchen and immediately tackled me into a hug, nearly knocking me out of the chair. Miley and I balanced each other out, as I was an extrovert and she was an introvert.

We spent the next few hours playing board games before I had to leave. The representative who had visited only days before knocked on the door.

"Hey Courtney," I said. She replied before leading us out of the house. Outside, crowds of people lined the street. Our road was completely closed off. People chanted my name and held up signs.

I could barely hear myself over the noise. A black limo was parked a couple blocks away.

"Bye Miley," I hugged her first. She was sad, but managed a small smile. I said goodbye to Mom and Dad next, finding it hard to tear away from their embrace. Next, I hugged Kayla. I would miss her the most.

"I'll write to you every day," I promised to them, giving everyone one last hug. I followed Courtney to the limo.

"Bye!" Kayla screamed. I looked back and saw her waving wildly. I smiled and signed " _I love you_."

The limo was really luxurious, and probably the most expensive thing I've ever seen. I immediately turned on the radio and set it to my favorite channel. I settled back into the leather seat, closing my eyes as the music drifted into my ears.

Soon enough, we arrived at the airport. One other girl was already waiting there, scrolling through something on her phone.

"Hey, I'm Eden," I smiled.

"Eleanor," the girl didn't even look up. She seemed to have a smirk on her face. Ok then, I thought, deciding not to try to talk to her anymore. I stood there awkwardly for what seemed like an hour before another girl walked in. I resisted the urge to sigh in relief and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Avery, feel free to call me Lane," The girl said. She had slightly tanned skin and reddish brown hair tied up into a loose ponytail. She flicked her side bangs out of her face, revealing her left eye.

"Woah, you have heterochromia. That's so cool!" I marveled at her bright green eye and her caramel one.

"Yeah," she replied. "I like it most of the time." Lane and I started talking, and we became fast friends. We had a lot in common, and we were both pretty extroverted.

The last girl walked in. She had blonde hair and grey eyes. "I'm Mackenzie, but I go by Kenzie."

"Hi," Lane and I greeted and introduced ourselves. Kenzie joined in our conversation. She was probably the sweetest person I had ever met, and I took an instant liking to her.

Soon, Courtney arrived and ushered us into the plane. The three of us sat down on a couch on one side of the plane, while Eleanor sat in a seat in the back, still on her phone. We rolled our eyes at her and kept talking. We ate most of the dessert cart, and Kenzie told us about her experience as a baker. Then, Lane told us about her job at the bar, which made us crack up a lot.

After we landed, we got out of the plane and went into the airport. We walked outside to find a lot of people holding up signs and cheering. Most signs were for Kenzie or me. Eleanor just walked down the carpet, flashing fake smiles to anyone who looked at her. The rest of us went around, signing autographs and taking pictures. We got back into another limo for a short drive.

The driver opened the door and we stepped outside to find the enormous palace looming over us. It was huge, more than seven stories high. I couldn't find the ends of it. We went inside, and our jaws dropped instantly. It was even bigger inside, and filled with the most expensive things I had ever seen. Everything seemed to be made out of gold or diamonds. Courtney and another representative led us through long hallways until we reached a room marked "Makeover". I internally groaned, just wanting to go to sleep.

We stepped into the chaotic room. I wrinkled my nose at the strong smells of hairspray and nail polish. "6", a representative pointed at me.

Three people, who I assumed were my maids, came up to me and led me to station six.

"Hello Lady Eden, we're your maids," one of them greeted. She had short brown hair and brown eyes.

"I'm June," she curtsied.

"Just call me Eden," I replied, smiling at them.

"I'm Teresa," another said. She had wavy red hair and green eyes. Besides her appearance, her energy reminded me a lot of Kayla.

" _I'm Hannah_ ," the last one signed rapidly in sign language. I smiled at her and signed " _Hello._ " She had blonde curls and blue eyes.

"Hannah's deaf. She can read lips and talk, but she prefers sign language," Teresa explained.

"Oh," I nodded understandingly.

"So, what do you want for your makeover?" June asked as I sat down in a large leather black chair.

"Maybe something elegant, but not too sophisticated," I said. June nodded and she and Hannah left to go find something.

"Do you want to do anything with your hair?" Teresa asked. I shook my head.

"Ok, I think that will work. You have really nice hair," Teresa complimented. I thanked her and she took me to a sink. She quickly washed my hair, leaving it as smooth as it ever had been. She took me back to the station and applied a little hair product before blow drying it.

Teresa was just finishing the low braided bun she had made very carefully when Hannah and June returned, a large black garment bag draped over Hannah's arm. She handed it to me and all three of them led me to a dressing room in the back. I went in and took the dress out of the bag. I gasped. The dress was long and ocean blue, and peacock feathers covered the bodice. It was beautiful. I took off my white top and leggings and slipped it on. It fit perfectly. I pulled on the matching blue heels before walking out of the dressing room.

"What do you think," Hannah signed, a curious expression on her face.

"Beautiful," I signed back, smiling. My maids cheered and took me back to the station for makeup. Hannah applied foundation, blue eyeshadow, and eyeliner, while Teresa applied blush and lipstick. June showed me the perfume cart. I picked vanilla, thinking of my mom's favorite flower.

June sprayed it over me and pushed me into a line to get my After picture taken. I waited behind a girl with jet black hair. I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Eden," I introduced myself.

"Well hello darling," the girl said. "I'm Calliope, call me Callie, or Lily." She smiled. "I love your dress. Very creative."

"Why thank you," I dipped into a curtsy. She laughed. We got our pictures taken and sat down on a white couch next to Lane.

I fell asleep slowly on my canopy bed that night, thinking of how much Kayla would love the palace.

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited!**

 **Next chapter will be Logan meeting the girls!**

 **~Demigod18**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 16**

 **I do not own the Selection**

 **Logan's POV**

The next morning I was woken up at the crack of dawn. I would be meeting the Selected today. I was pretty nervous, once again. My nerves hadn't been at rest for a long time. I changed into a black suit and went downstairs for breakfast.

I picked at my hard boiled eggs, unable to force down more than a bite. Breakfast was as loud as normal, with Belle and Aaron screaming the whole time.

Savannah, Wyatt, and I went upstairs to my room to look at the forms of the Selected.

"Ooh, she's cute," Wyatt said, pointing to the picture of Aralynn Rhiannon Darke. Savannah smacked him on the back of his head and rolled her eyes.

"Ow, what was that for?" Wyatt asked cluelessly. Savannah rolled her eyes again and ignored her.

"You know, your eyes are going to get stuck like that one day," Wyatt said. I saw Savannah resist the urge to roll her eyes again.

"She seems nice," Savannah said, picking up Jennifer Ivanoff's form. "She's a biochemist, really smart."

"Eh, she's pretty, but look at her," Wyatt shrugged and pointed to Ashley Jane Carter. Savannah smacked him again.

"You're so shallow!" Savannah said, trying to hold back her anger. "How sexist can you be?"

After another half hour of Savannah and Wyatt arguing, I walked downstairs into the Women's Room. I stepped inside the room, and immediately all thirty-five heads turned.

"Hello ladies," I greeted, trying to keep my cool. "I will be meeting with all of you until dinner. When I call your name, please meet me outside the Women's Room." The girls nodded and I stepped outside and sat down at a table someone had set up just minutes before.

"Lady Lilianna Sadie Hudson," I called. A fairly short, thin girl with mid length dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes walked outside and sat down. She had freckles popping up over her face, and a few on her arms. She was wearing a mint green chiffon dress. It was just above the knees and had spaghetti straps. It was pretty simple, compared to the dresses Mom wore most of the time.

"Hello, your majesty," Lilianna dipped into a curtsy.

"Please, call me Logan," I said, smiling.

She nodded, "Just call me Lily."

"So Lily, what do you like to do in your free time?" I asked.

"Well, I do a lot of horseback riding, since we have stables in our backyard. Everyone in my family has a horse," she started. "I also like music, and I play the flute in my free time."

"That's cool," I replied. "Did you bring it with you?"

"Yeah," she said. "It relaxes me."

"Yeah, I understand. I paint when I'm stressed, which is a lot, and that helps calm me down."

"What do you like to do?" Lily asked.

"I also do a lot of horseback riding. I swim a lot, and sail," I replied. "But I don't always have too much time, with the whole running the country thing."

"Yeah, I can't imagine being responsible for the entire country," Lily said.

I checked my watch. "Well Lily, it looks like we're out of time. I enjoyed talking to you." Lily stood up and waved before going back to the Women's Room.

"Lady Chanda Farhani," I shouted. A girl wearing traditional Pakistani clothes walked out and sat down.

"Hello Lady Chanda," I said.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied. "How are you doing?"

"Very well, how about you?" I asked.

"Great! I love the palace so far," she gushed.

"So, I heard you opened up quite a few soup kitchens in Angeles. How did that happen?"

"Well, I just feel bad for people who don't have as much as I do," Chanda started. "Also, I am a philanthropist, so it's basically my job to do this. But I have so much fun working there. It always makes my day when someone thanks me or compliments my cooking." She smiled, a faraway look in her eyes.

"That's great! And a very good cause too. You should be proud of yourself," I smiled at her and she blushed.

"Prince Logan, I have a question for you," she asked, her dreamy gaze replaced with a curious one.

"What is it?"

"What is it like to have siblings? Do they ever bother you?" The Pakistani girl asked.

I chuckled, thinking of spending time with my siblings. "They definitely do. Especially Wyatt. Plus, Belle and Aaron tend to get whatever they ask for. But I love them anyway. It's nice to have people that are always there for you."

"That sounds nice," she said. After saying goodbye, I sent Chanda back in and called Lady Everly Callista Faze.

"Hello Lady Everly," I smiled as she sat down.

"Please call me Ever, I'm not exactly a 'lady'," Ever said and adjusted the strap on her black lace type dress.

"Lady Ever, tell me about you family, if it isn't a sore subject."

"Well, first of all, Sawyer, my half sister, is the sweetest and best person you will ever meet," Ever began. "She's the only person I've known, except my friend Dallas, who has always been there for me. The rest of my family sucks." Ever's face turned a little red and an angry look appeared in her eyes. I decided not to press the matter, and instead asked her how she liked being a waitress.

"I really hate it actually," Ever said. "Some customers are so rude, especially the higher castes. No offense," she said hastily as her face reddened again.

"None taken, wait 'till you meet the queen of Germany," I shuddered. Ever laughed.

"Well Ever, thank you for your time, I liked talking to you," I smiled again and Ever stood up to leave.

"Lady Silena Morgan Parker," I said. Silena walked out, her pale brown hair in a complicated braid with a few strands framing her face. Her warm brown eyes were smiling and filled with happiness.

"Hello Prince Logan," Silena curtsied before sitting down.

"Good afternoon, Lady Silena," I greeted.

"Call me Lena," she said.

"And call me Logan," I replied. She nodded and smiled.

"So, what are some of your hobbies?" I asked.

Her eyes lit up. "I love horses! They are basically my life. Well, all animals in general, but mostly horses," Silena said. "Oh by the way, you have some beautiful horses. I went out yesterday before bed and looked at them. I love the palomino!" Silena gushed.

"Thank you. The palomino is my sister Savannah's horse. She's named Sunrise," I replied.

"Ooh, that's a perfect name for her!"

"So how did you get into horses?" I asked.

"When I was younger, I went to work with my older sister, Lauren, who works at the ranch I work at now. I used to stare at the horses for hours on end. One day, the owner of the ranch saw me, and I guess he figured out I had a deep love for horses, because he offered me a trade. I would help Lauren, and he would give me free riding lessons. I obviously agreed, and was hooked after my first lesson. I kept working there as I grew older, and now I work there full time."

"Wow, that's quite a story," I said.

"Yeah, that was basically my life story in a minute," Silena giggled. I laughed and looked at the time.

"Unfortunately, we are out of time," I said. "Hopefully we'll get to talk again soon."

"Adjö!" Silena smiled and got up. I quickly recognized that as "goodbye" in Swendish.

"Lady Marissa Jade Meyers!" I shouted. She walked out, wearing a slightly Victorian style dress with her hazel colored hair in a loose bun.

"Good afternoon, Lady Marissa," I said as she sat down.

"Call me Jade," she replied, smiling.

"Okay Jade, what do you normally do as a substitute teacher?"

"Well, I normally get called in every two days, at least, since there aren't that many substitutes around where I live. I love to teach kindergarten mostly, since they are all so cute. But one time, I lost my temper with one kid, and yelled at him. I still feel awful," she smiled at the memory.

"What do you normally do at the palace?" Jade asked.

"A lot of meetings and papers, that's all I can really say. I don't know how I'm going to handle being king," I shook my head.

After talking a little more about the palace, I called in Lady Rose Madelyn Woods. She was wearing a strapless coral dress, ending at about her knees. It had a beaded pattern on the top. She flipped her chocolate brown hair with caramel highlights over her shoulder and sat down.

"Hello your majesty," she smiled brightly. I could instantly tell she was an extrovert.

"Hello Rose. Do you mind if I call you that?"

"Definitely not, I could never get used to being called 'lady' all the time." Rose smiled and laughed lightly.

"Okay Rose, what is your favorite thing to do?"

"Ooh, I love going to the beach with my family. We go as often as we can." Rose had a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I would say the same thing," I agreed. "We try to go at least once a month. We have a beach house closer to the coast of Angeles."

"That sounds great! I would love to go there," Rose smiled.

"Maybe I could arrange for the Selected to take a trip there sometime," I said.

"That would be wonderful!" Rose practically bounced out of her seat.

"Well Rose, it was nice talking to you, but I'm afraid I must dismiss you now," I said. Rose waved and left to go back inside.

"Circe Alessandra Michaelides," I called out. The despotess of Greece walked out of the Women's Room, wearing a Greek chiffon red knee length dress and matching red heels. She curtsied gracefully and sat down, fingering a gold griffon necklace.

"Hello Lady Circe," I greeted.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied.

"How are you doing in Illéa? Do you like it better than Greece?"

"I love it so far! Everything is so luxurious," Circe said in a thick Greek accent, her dark turquoise eyes lit up with happiness. "And the palace is beautiful! I remember a little of it from when we visited 16 years ago, but it's better than I remembered!"

"That's great to hear," I said.

"Also," Circe leaned in a little closer. "Be careful of the little one, she's going to get away with a lot one day, she's definitely a troublemaker."

"Ah, Belle," I nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more. She already does get away with everything."

After talking about Circe's family, I dismissed her and called in Eden Rose Dawn. She wore a silver off the shoulder gown. She tucked a lock of dirty blonde hair behind her ear and sat down.

"Good afternoon Lady Eden," I greeted.

"Good afternoon Prince Logan," she replied.

"What do you write about as a journalist?" I asked.

"Well, anything really. It could be local crimes, to rebel activity, to things going on in the palace, to international affairs," she said.

"That sounds interesting," I said. "Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes, I do, very much, but I'm thinking of becoming an author, I write novels in my spare time," she said.

"That is amazing. I personally have no talent in writing whatsoever. I'm more of a math person," I admitted. My writing really was terrible. "Would you mind if I read one of them sometime?"

Eden blushed. "Of course, I would be delighted for you to read one."

"Well Lady Eden, it looks like we're out of time. I hope to talk to you again soon."

Eden stood up and said goodbye before walking back into the Women's Room.

"Lady Aralynn Rhiannon Darke," I shouted. Aralynn walked out, wearing a cream strapless gown and matching heels. Her dyed brown hair was up in a complex updo.

"Hello Lady Aralynn. You look quite different from when I saw you on the Report," I commented. It was true, her old blonde hair was now dyed brown, contrasting her bright blue eyes.

"Hello, but please call me Ara," she said.

"Ok Ara, how are you enjoying the palace so far?"

"It's great! I really love it here, but can I be honest with you?"

"Of course," I replied, confused and curious as to what she was about to say.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all of this, but you seem so trustworthy and I really don't have anyone else to tell," Ara paused. "I really don't want to be here," she exhaled. "My mom is absolutely crazy. She made me enter. I've been training for this for basically my whole life. But please don't send me home, my mom would absolutely kill me," Ara begged, catching her breath.

I stood there for a minute, processing this information, a little unsure what to say. "Don't worry, I won't send you home. You seem nice enough," I tried to comfort her.

"Thank you so so so much!" Ara brightened. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this!"

"No problem, and I have an idea," I said. "You could be my friend. You know, help me out, tell me about the other girls, and I can confide in you."

"That's a great idea! It'll be nice to have a friend here that's not trying to win your heart," she said and we laughed.

"Well Ara, it was nice talking to you," I said. Ara stood up and curtsied before leaving.

"Lady Avery Lane Kingston," I called. Avery walked out in a floral print dress and cream heels. Her black rimmed glasses were gone and replaced by contacts. Now I could clearly see her different eye colors. She flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder and sat down.

"Hello Avery, how are you doing?"

"Hello Prince Logan, I am doing fine," she smiled.

"So what do you do in your free time?" I asked her.

"Well, I love to play the drums, my brother taught me how when I was younger. I also love to read, and I've been known to get caught up in a book and completely forget about my responsibilities. I once read for over twelve hours and I didn't notice at all. That's probably why I have to wear glasses now," Avery grinned sheepishly.

"I don't think I could ever do that," I said. "I don't think I've ever gotten more than 20 minutes of peace before. There's always something I could be doing."

"Well, you are basically responsible for the country," Avery said.

"That is true," I agreed with her. We talked a little more about our interests before I asked for Lady Cara Louise Swan.

Lady Cara walked out in a black dress that faded into red at the bottom, which matched the crimson streak in her hair. She curtsied before sitting down.

"Hello, Lady Cara, or West as I hear you like to be called," I smiled.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied.

"So how are the murder mysteries going?"

"Quite well actually, I just returned from a book signing two weeks ago in Yukon. I'm working on a new novel right now."

"That's great! How's it coming so far?"

"I'm making good progress. I already know what it's going to be about, and I've finished the first hundred pages or so. The only problem is my parents don't exactly approve of my career," West's bright smile turned into a slight frown.

"Really, why is that?" I asked.

"They want me to 'do something better with my life'," West finger quoted.

"Well I personally think being as accomplished a writer as you are is a great career," I said.

"Thank you," West blushed slightly. We talked a little more about her novels before I dismissed her.

"Lady Morgan Kristopher Jennings," I called. Morgan walked out of the Women's Room, wearing an off the shoulder green and gold gown, I couldn't even see what shoes she was wearing. She sat down and started folding a small piece of paper on the table.

"Hello Lady Morgan," I greeted.

"Hi Prince Logan, also just call me Krys."

I nodded. "So, what do you do in your free time?"

"Well, I write a little for fun, and read a lot of fantasy books. I can get lost in them so easily. I also read some political debates and essays, which I've been called a nerd for. Plus, I play basically any sports with my friends. I also create hand sewn dolls. And, I do a lot of origami." Krys smiled and held up an intricate paper penguin she had folded from the piece of paper.

"Wow, that's impressive," I said, genuinely amazed.

"Thanks," she smiled. "What do you like to do?"

"Well, I ride horses and sail in the little time I have," I replied.

"That sounds pretty great, except for the fact you have to run the country," Krys smiled.

"Well Krys, it was nice talking to you," Krys smiled and left.

"Lady Eleanor Ashley Taylor," I called. Eleanor walked out wearing a strapless, very short dress with slits on the sides. It had a low neckline, and was matched with very high heels.

"Good afternoon Lady Eleanor," I said.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied. After a short and awkward conversation, I realized that Eleanor and I had absolutely nothing in common. I called in Lady Annabeth Grace Bree. Annabeth walked in wearing a light blue gown with tulle on the bottom. It had her name in white stitched in cursive on the bottom.

"Hello Lady Annabeth," I said.

"Good afternoon Prince Logan," Annabeth curtsied and sat down.

"So how are you?" I asked, since she looked a little sad.

"Not to good, if I can be honest," Annabeth started. "My dad died a few days ago," Annabeth looked down, avoiding my eyes.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," I said, feeling terrible for her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, but thank you anyways," Annabeth said. "Actually, would you mind if I just go to my room until dinner? I have a headache, I think I need a rest."

"Of course Annabeth," I said. "I'll let Krysten know immediately."

"Thank you," Annabeth smiled and stood up. She left to go back to her room. I called a maid and gave her a note to give to Krysten.

"Lady Autumn Khanley Khuu," I called. Autumn was wearing an off the shoulder dark blue dress. She had her dark hair down, framing her face. She fiddled with a friendship bracelet and sat down.

"Hello Autumn," I greeted.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied.

"So what do you like to do best?" I asked her.

Autumn's eyes lit up. "I love music. I love my job, I get to play music every day. Music is my escape, it's like everything negative leaves me once my fingers hit the keys."

"That's wonderful. I wish I had something that I loved that much. I think I just need more time to discover it, you know?"

Autumn nodded understandingly and grinned lopsidedly.

"Well Autumn, it was nice talking to you," I said. Autumn stood up and said goodbye before leaving.

"Lady Stella Phoebe Eurena," I shouted. Stella walked out, wearing a lilac spaghetti strap dress and white heels. Her naturally ombre hair was in a braided ponytail. She curtsied and sat down.

"Hello Lady Stella," I greeted.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied and smiled.

"Do you like working as an assistant teacher?" I asked.

"Yes, definitely," Stella replied without hesitation. "The kids are so adorable, and the job is just so much fun in general. I also coach a soccer team as a side job, which I love too. The kids are only 7-11, so it is a lot of fun to spend time with them and teach them how to play."

"That does sound pretty fun, but I don't know if I could put up with 50 Belle's," I admitted. Stella laughed.

"Well, I hope to talk to you soon, but I must talk to the other girls. I enjoyed talking to you," I said. Stella stood up and left.

"Lady Olivia Vanessa Carlton," I called. Olivia walked out, wearing a long pink gown. She was quite small and petite. She sat down, and seemed to be trying to hide away from me.

After a short and quiet conversation, I decided I would be sending her home too. She was nice, definitely, but she was too shy. She barely said ten words during the whole conversation.

"Lady Caspian Abbey Blue." Caspian was wearing a long, bright orange gown with white heels. The dress had a pattern of sequins on the top and was matched with a necklace.

"Hello Lady Caspian," I said as Caspian sat down.

"Call me Cas, but good afternoon Prince Logan," Cas said.

"Okay Cas, so what do some of your hobbies include?" I asked.

"I like reading and drawing, and also hunting, but I don't get to that much. I also swim, so I'm looking forward to going swimming in your pool, that is bigger than an Olympic pool by the way." Cas paused and smiled. "I also love to play the flute, when my father isn't home, otherwise he gets made at the noise." Cas's smile turned into a frown.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Cas replaced her downcast look with a smile immediately.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled.

"If you ever need anything, feel free to ask me," I said, trying to comfort her.

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

"It was nice talking to you," I said. "Hopefully we'll get to talk again soon." I smiled. Cas said goodbye and left.

"Lady Carolina Joy Davis." Carolina was wearing a light pink poofy ball gown, matched with silver heels and a silver leaf bracelet.

"Hello Lady Carolina," I greeted.

"Hello Prince Logan, call me Callie, or Cara," she smiled and curtsied before sitting down.

"How you enjoy being a photographer?" I asked her.

"I love it!" Callie exclaimed. "It's like I can capture my feelings through a picture. I've never gotten tired of just picking up my camera and taking pictures for a day. It's also fun to capture beautiful moments or settings."

"I think it's great you have something you love that much," I smiled.

"Yeah, it is pretty great."

"My grandfather loves to take pictures," I said.

"You mean King Maxon?" Callie asked.

"Yeah, he walks around the palace and takes at least ten pictures every day. His bedroom is covered in collages he made. I heard from Grandma America that when she was in the Selection, he had a whole collage of the Selection in his bedroom."

"I do the exact same thing! My bedroom is lined with my pictures," Callie said.

We talked a little more about photography and I sent her back in and called out Lady Ashley Jane Carter.

"Good afternoon Lady Ashley," I greeted. She was wearing a light blue flowy dress, that swirled around her when she moved.

"Good afternoon Prince Logan," she replied.

"What do you do in our free time?" I asked her.

"I love taking care of Zoe and Ella, my two pomskies."

At my confused look, Ashley said, "They're a cross between a pomeranian and husky."

I nodded and motioned for her to continue. "I love horseback riding too, and learning languages. One of my favorite things is reading and learning languages on horseback."

"That sounds fun," I said. "Impressive too, I'm pretty bad at learning languages. I can barely speak Swendish."

Ashley laughed. We talked a little more, and I sent her away and called in Luna Grace Meyers. She was wearing a vintage style white dress with a black lace pattern stitched on top.

"Hello Lady Luna," I greeted. She smiled and sat down.

"Hello Prince Logan," she replied.

"How are you liking the palace?" I asked.

"It's great so far! I love the decorations, and it's so big, and the architecture is so big, and my room is so perfect!" Luna stopped and blushed. "Sorry, I'm rambling, but the palace is just so beautiful!"

"It's great to hear that you like it," I smiled at her. She started twirling a strand of her caramel blonde hair around her finger. "Do you enjoy acting as a career?"

"Definitely! It's cool to be a different person, and really get into the character, you know? And the cast is like a big family, we get really close. I still keep in touch with people from the first performance I ever did."

"I don't think I would be good at acting, but that sounds fun."

"It is," Luna nodded.

"Well Luna, it was nice talking to you, I hope to talk to you again soon." Luna stood up and smiled and left.

"Lady Samantha Paige Reynolds." Samantha walked out of the Women's Room wearing a knee length midnight blue dress that matched her dark blue eyes.

"Hello Lady Samantha," I greeted. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Please call me Sammie, I really can't stand my actual name."

"Okay Sammie, so what do you do at home when you're not working?"

"I love running and training with my dad. I play almost every sport with him. I also like hanging out with my friends and sisters, when they aren't being really annoying."

"That sounds fun," I said. "I wish I had people to play sports with. All I have is Wyatt, and he's a sore winner. I gave up on him years ago."

Samantha laughed. "I can imagine. He seems like that kind of person even on TV."

"Yeah, that's Wyatt for you," I sighed, thinking of my annoying brother.

I checked my watch. "It was nice talking to you Sammie, hopefully I'll be able to talk to you soon."

Sammie stood up and smiled before waving and going back into the Women's Room.

"Lady Stephanie Lauren Flynt." Stephanie walked out wearing a bright orange short sleeved long dress.

"Hello Stephanie," I said.

"Hello Prince Logan, call me Steph" Stephanie curtsied.

"How do you like being a chef?"

"I love it!" Steph responded without hesitation. "I am the heir to our family's restaurant, which is pretty popular. I am thinking about recipes almost every single second."

"That's impressive. I can barely pour a bowl of cereal correctly." I joked. Steph laughed.

"What's it like living in the palace?" Steph asked.

"It's pretty great. I mean, we have a movie theater, a pool, stables, and a game room, not to mention gardens and sports fields. But at the same time, it's stressful. I'm almost always at a meeting or doing paperwork, and Dad and Mom are having me make more decisions since I will take over the throne soon."

Steph nodded understandingly. "Your siblings must have it easy then."

"You're telling me," I rolled my eyes. My siblings were lucky. They could do whatever they wanted to. They were never stuck in a day long meeting about finance. They also never had to actually be in charge of all of Illèa.

Steph and I talked for a little longer before I called in Lady Piper Ocean Ellison.

When Piper first walked into the room, I realized why her middle name was Ocean. Her eyes were bright turquoise, like the ocean itself. Piper was wearing a green knee length strapless dress, and her hair was half up, half down, the up part in a complicated braid.

"Hello Piper," I smiled.

"Good afternoon Prince Logan," she smiled and sat down.

"So Piper, I saw on your form that you are a trapeze artist. What's job like?"

"It's amazing! We've traveled to so many places, and it's great because the company is run by my family, so I don't ever have to leave them. Although they do get really annoying sometimes.

"I completely agree," I interrupted. We shared a knowing look.

"Anyways, I love being a trapeze artist. It was really scary at first, and after I fell off, I never wanted to do it again but I love it now."

"Wait," I stopped her. "You fell off?"

"Yeah, a few years ago. I broke my ankle and sprained my arm, but I'm okay. I was actually pretty lucky considering how high I was when I fell."

"Wow," I couldn't think of anything else to say. Piper and I talked about her job for a little before I dismissed her and called in Lady Molly Little.

Lady Molly was by far the rudest girl I had met so far. She almost yelled at me for calling her Molly instead of Lady Molly. Even if I was planning on keeping her, we had absolutely nothing in common.

When she walked back into the Women's Room, I decided that I would definitely eliminate her.

"Lady Calliope Lilith Evers," I called. Calliope walked out, wearing a white dress and silver heels.

"Hello Lady Calliope," I greeted.

"Just Calliope or Lily is fine. But hello dear," Calliope said in a smooth voice. Her confidence shocked me for a minute.

"So Calliope, what do you like to do in your spare time?"

"I am a doctor, so I don't get too much time off," Calliope started. "But when I am off, I basically solve any kind of mind game or puzzle. Plus it's fun to rub it in my friend Chase's face because he can never solve them." Calliope laughed lightly. "I also like reading, and when I'm alone, dancing."

"That sounds great. I like to read, and I've been forced to take dance lessons since I could walk."

Calliope laughed again. We talked a little more and I sent her back.

"Lady Eris von Justice," I called, recognizing the name of the spy sent here to solve the rebel problems. Eris walked out, wearing a golden formal dress and matching heels.

"Hello Lady Eris," I said.

"Hello Prince Logan," Eris said professionally.

"How's the mission going so far?" I asked.

"Pretty well, I've read the files several times, and I think Galaxy and I know what to do. The King and Queen have hired new guards and soldiers, especially since you reported the rebel in the forest."

I blushed guiltily and averted her eyes. "I apologize for causing you all this trouble."

"Not at all, in fact, your discovery has actually helped us, and the girls. Now, there's a much smaller chance of them being harmed."

I smiled. "That's great to hear." Rebels had been attacking us for as long as I could remember, but they were never serious attacks. The attacks we had experienced at the palace in the last year were much worse. I guess that's why Eris and Galaxy were hired.

I sent Eris back and called in Lady Anissa Azalea Laila Adel.

You could easily tell Anissa was Persian and Illèan. Her light skin and green eyes were Illèan, while her hair and facial features were Persian. She was wearing an off the shoulder pale blue gown.

"Good afternoon Lady Anissa," I said.

"Please call me Nissa, but good afternoon Prince Logan," Nissa said.

"So Nissa, what are some of your hobbies?"

"I absolutely adore ballet," Nissa gushed. "I've been dancing since I was a child. I go to ballet almost every day. It is my absolute favorite thing to do. I also love to cook. Since I moved from Persia, I have been making Persian dishes for my mother and grandmother. I learned how to make all of them from the servants in my old house in Persia." Nissa then told me about her favorite dishes to make.

"That sounds delicious," I said. "I've never had Persian food before."

Nissa shook her head. "You're missing out on a lot. Maybe I can cook some for you one day."

"That sounds great!" I smiled. We talked for a while longer before I sent her back.

"Lady Sarafinn Dina Clark." Sarafinn walked out of the Women's Room wearing a ballgown with her hair in princess curls. She sat down.

"Hello Lady Sarafinn," I said.

"Hello Prince Logan. Please call me Sara," she replied. I nodded.

"Ok Sara, how do you like the palace?" I asked.

"It's great!" Sara replied. "It's so much nicer than back home, and much bigger. It's kind of hard to believe it's only one family living here, but then I saw how much staff you have."

I laughed. "I get that. Until the Selection was announced, I didn't even know half of them existed."

"Yeah, I was surprised. I love how spacious it is though. My room here is almost as big as the bottom floor of my house! And there are so many things to do here. I can't wait to explore, but all we can do is sit in the Women's Room. It's pretty boring so far."

I nodded. "At least you don't have to sit through day long meetings. Consider yourself lucky. But if you don't like this, we could always switch places," I said hopefully.

Sara laughed. "No thank you."

"Well Sara, it was nice talking to you," I said. Sara stood up and said goodbye before leaving.

"Lady Skylar Emily Oakley."

Skylar was wearing a bright purple strapless knee length dress, which perfectly complimented her bright violet eyes. Her golden blonde hair was in a side french braid.

"Hello Lady Skylar," I greeted.

"Just call me Sky," she smiled.

"Okay Sky, what do you like to do in your free time?"

"I am a professional flute player, so I like to practice a lot. My family is filled with a lot of musical people. I also play harp and sing, but my favorite musical instrument is the piccolo. It is so much fun to play even if it is pretty hard sometimes. I'm often told to stop practicing since it is so high and loud." Sky laughed, her eyes lit up with happiness.

"But I also love running. It is a lot of fun. I relieve a lot of my stress through running."

I smiled at the bright and energetic girl. "I love running too. I like to go about three miles, but I don't run every day. Mostly when I have time or I'm feeling stressed."

"Me too, I also run when I'm upset. I just keep running until I completely forget about what happened and then I turn back."

I nodded, Sky really seemed to understand me. Most people would laugh or call me insane when I told them I liked running.

"Well Sky, it was nice talking to you. Hopefully I'll see you again soon," I said. Sky smiled and said goodbye before leaving.

"Lady Nala-Rose Elric." The only eight of the competition walked out of the Women's Room. She looked incredibly different. The dirt was completely gone, and she looked less painfully thin, even after only three meals. Her golden hair looked brighter and less tangled, as well as smooth and shiny. Her green-grey eyes were much happier than ever before.

"Hello Lady Nala-Rose," I greeted.

"Hello Prince Logan, please call me Nala," she replied. I nodded.

"So Nala, are you happy to be one of the Selected?"

"Yes! Definitely," Nala said. "I managed by buy my mother and I up to 7's, and after a couple weeks we could become sixes. That is if you're planning on keeping me here," Nala added hastily.

"Don't worry," I responded. "I think I'll keep you around for a little while."

"Thank you so much!" Nala replied. "This has been a great opportunity. My mother and I are no longer sleeping on park benches without food. We bought a small three room apartment and she has gotten a job as a gardener. We also have a refrigerator with a lot of food in it. But it doesn't seem like much now that I'm at the palace. But thank you so much! You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"No problem, I love having you here," I said. "Also, you're technically a three now. You and your mom could easily become five's now, if not something higher."

"You're right!" Nala said happily. "I can't thank you enough!"

I laughed. "Really Nala, I'm not doing that much for you. You don't have to thank me."

She nodded. I could tell I liked Nala already. She was so sweet and kind, yet also bright and energetic.

"Well Nala, it has been nice talking to you. I hope to talk to you again soon," I said. Nala curtsied and ran back.

"Mackenzie Mae Dawson," I called. Mackenzie was wearing a baby blue lace chiffon dress below the knee. Her light blonde hair now had highlights in it. Her hair was in a side fishtail braid with a few curly strands framing her face.

"Hello Lady Mackenzie," I said.

"Good afternoon Prince Logan. Call me Kenzie," she responded.

"Ok Kenzie, so what do you like to do in your free time?" I asked.

"I especially love baking, as I work at a bakery that is owned by my family. I also love my family, which is my mom and dad, my older brother Kevin, and my younger brother Evan. Especially Evan. He is the sweetest person ever, but he was born mute. He was supposed to be an eight, but we decided we would work extra hard for him. He's the main reason why I entered. Hopefully, I'll be able to raise enough money to pay for his surgery." Kenzie paused and looked down.

I sat there awkwardly, not really sure what I should say or do. I decided not to say anything, in case I messed it up.

Kenzie looked back up and smiled. "Anyway, I also like to play and write music, and I sing almost all the time."

We talked for a while before I dismissed her.

"Lady Jennifer Ivanoff." Jennifer was wearing a dark blue off the shoulder gown and black heels. She sat down and smiled.

"Hello Lady Jennifer," I greeted.

"Hello Prince Logan. Please call me Jenni. How are you doing?" Jenni replied.

"I'm doing fine. How about you?"

"Great. The palace is lovely."

"I'm glad to hear that. How do you like your job as a biochemist?"

"I love it," Jenni replied. "It's nice being somewhere that I belong. In school, I was always the insanely smart and nerdy one. In the labs, I'm surrounded by people like me."

"That's nice to hear," I said. "Are you working on anything special right now?"

"Well, I think I may have found a cure for cancer. It won't cure it completely, but it'll increase your chances of living and it will be easy to live with."

At my impressed and shocked face, Jenni laughed. "Let's just hope it actually works first."

"What is it?" I asked, curious. Jenni dived into a complex description. After about a minute, I stopped her.

"I didn't understand anything you just said," I told her.

"Not many people do," Jenni laughed. "It is very complicated."

"Don't I know it. And that was only the beginning," I sighed. Jenni laughed.

"I enjoyed talking to you Jenni," I said. She stood up and waved before leaving.

"Lady Almeda Mapiya Begay." Almeda was wearing a ruby red skirt and white lace top. I was surprised her maids let her get away with it.

"Hello Lady Almeda," I said.

"Good afternoon Prince Logan. Oh shoot, I forgot to curtsy, didn't I. Call me Meda," Almeda said.

"Don't worry about the curtsying. Only do that in front of Krysten or any of the royals. Except for us. We Illèans don't mind."

Meda giggled. "That's good. I always forget."

"So Meda, are you happy that you were Selected?"

"Definitely! Our family's bank account has basically doubled. Since I am the only working person in my family, we're pretty poor for sevens. My grandparents are retired, and my brother is too young to work."

"That's wonderful to hear! I'm glad this has helped you out."

"It really has. I am so grateful for you and your family. But I feel bad for you at the same time. Isn't it annoying having all of us here?"

"I think maybe Dad might mind, since he's pretty shy, but I think he's still happy about it. Belle will probably be annoyed once you guys are here for a while. All the attention will be on you guys instead of her."

Meda and I talked for a while before I dismissed her. I really liked her. She was caring and kind, but not perfect, which was something I appreciated about her.

"Lady Riley Jenessa Crespo," I called out the name of the last girl. Riley was wearing a vintage strapless sundress. Her hair was in a French twist.

"Hello Riley," I greeted.

"Hello Logan," she responded and smiled.

"So Riley, what are some of your passions?" I asked.

"I love flowers, when I was a gardener, I learned a lot about them. But I find them really cool and pretty. I also like to cook, but I don't get to that often because of my long hours at the club," Riley blushed. "I hate my job. It's super embarrassing, but we need the money."

"I think I understand. I can definitely understand you needing the money. I hope the Selection will help with that. Anything else?"

"I also like to sew, which many people find surprising. I guess people don't expect me to like sewing, since I have a reputation for being strong. Additionally, I like sketching, especially drawing sunsets and sunrises, or water. I brought my sketchbook with me. Also, if I had money, I would love to learn horseback riding. That would be awesome. Hopefully I'll learn while I'm at the palace."

"I would love to teach you," I said. "Also, maybe you could show me your drawings sometime."

Riley blushed. "That would be great."

"It was nice talking to you Lady Riley. Now we can finally have dinner. I am personally very hungry." Riley nodded in agreement and went back into the Women's Room.

I headed back upstairs, feeling very nervous about first elimination.

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the very long wait. This chapter took me forever to get through. Unfortunately, I might not be updating as frequently since crew practice starts next week. But I'll definitely try.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited!**

 **~Demigod18**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 17**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Marissa Jade Meyers

"Marissa, it is almost time for dinner. We need to get you dressed and ready!" Celine, one of my maids, said. I put my bookmark in my book and set it down on the bed. I checked the time on the clock next to my bed.

"We still have at least half an hour!" I exclaimed.

"No we don't," Elizabeth said. "We have so much to do. Redo your makeup, brush your hair, pick out an outfit, wash your face…"

"Alright, alright. I get it," I sighed. I reluctantly got up from my comfortable position on my bed and smoothed out the wrinkles on the comforter.

I went into the bathroom and was instantly bombarded by my maids. I splashed some water on my face and Alyssa started on my hair. Celine rushed to my closet and picked out a deep red Victorian style dress. She brought out a pair of brown boots, which I was relieved by. Boots were so much better than heels. I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes. Meeting the prince earlier was exhausting.

I dried my face with a towel and sat down on a chair at my vanity. Alyssa continued to brush through my tangled hazel hair. She applied some product on it that made it smoother and softer, as well as much more shiny. Alyssa pulled it into a neat high bun.

I pulled off my clothes and slipped into the dress and boots. Celine put on red lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow, and blush. Elizabeth sprayed my signature scent, which was peach, all over me, causing me to resist the urge to choke.

I hugged my maids and thanked them before leaving my bedroom. I was pretty excited, since this would be the first time we would actually see the rest of the royal family. I joined the clump of girls at the top of the stairs. I found my closest friend so far and went over to join her.

"Hey Sammie," I smiled. She was wearing a forest green knee length dress and silver flats. She was looking a little grumpy.

"Can you believe it!? Apparently we aren't allowed to wear any pants at all during the Selection! This is an outrage!" Sammie exclaimed.

"What'd you expect?" I asked.

"Not this," she mumbled. "I'm not sure if I want to be eliminated or not."

As soon as the last girl arrived, Krysten ushered us down the stairs and went over the rules quickly.

"Use the right fork, the salad fork is the smaller one. The bigger spoon is a soup spoon. Always keep your glass on the right of the plate. No slurping or making any unladylike noises…"

Some of the lower caste girls were looking a little overwhelmed and a bit nervous, while the two's and some three's were bored.

Finally, we walked into the gigantic dining hall, which probably could have fit about a thousand people. Small white notecards with our names and flowers on them were placed at every chair. The royal family was at the head of the table, and we took up most of the rest of it. The long table was arranged by province alphabetically, putting me in between Silena and Rose. Since I was from Bankston, which was pretty close to the beginning, I could see the royals pretty well. I was across from Nala-Rose, with Lilianna next to Savannah and Riley next to Belle.

The waiters dressed in a sharp with shirt with black pants and a black vest walked in carrying platters of food and pushing carts. I watched in awe as my plate was filled with heaps of food and the remaining was placed on the table. All the girls had similar expressions.

"This is amazing!" Silena whisper-yelled.

"I know right?!" I replied. "I don't think I'll be able to finish this."

"It's a wonder the royal family is in such good shape," Silena commented.

I looked over to the royal family. Silena was right. I nodded and started eating after the king took a bite of mashed potatoes.

Music in the background started playing. After glancing at the decorations, I wondered how much time had been put into this meal.

After about 6 courses, the dinner was finally over. I felt like I could barely get up after all the food. I also had a terrible stomachache.

I thought about Silena's comment from earlier. If I ate this much at every meal, I would probably double my weight in a few years.

"All right ladies, it is time for first elimination!" Queen Eadlyn announced.

Anissa Azalea Laila Adel

After Queen Eadlyn announced the elimination, I started to get really nervous. The royal family hugged Logan and patted him on the back before leaving the room. I didn't even think about Logan. He must be feeling as nervous as I was, if not more.

Just a few seconds ago, all of the girls were slouched back, but now, we sat up and listened intently. The other girls had nervous expressions as well.

"Good luck," whispered Sara.

"You too," I smiled.

"Okay," Logan started shakily. "If I call your name, please stay here, if not, please head to the living room."

"Lady Eleanor Ashley Taylor." Eleanor was looking pretty smug. If she was going to stay, what chance did I have? We were so different. I had hoped the Prince had better judgement, but apparently I was wrong. If he was like that, maybe it was better if I got eliminated.

"Lady Olivia Vanessa Carlton." I could easily believe Olivia was staying. She was so sweet and caring, she was like the perfect girl, except she was incredibly shy.

"Lady Molly Little." Now I was really shocked. Molly was the most annoying and aggressive girl I had ever met.

I waited for Prince Logan to call out more names, but he didn't.

"The rest of you, please go to the living room, I will be with you shortly." I was confused, what was going to happen to the other girls? Were they staying or leaving?

I followed the other 32 girls into the living room, where the royal family was waiting with smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations!" Queen Eadlyn exclaimed. "You just made it past the first elimination."

There was a collective sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," I said to Jenni, my closest friend so far.

She smiled back but didn't say anything since the Queen had started talking again.

"Anyways, you will all be going on a date with the prince before he eliminates anyone else. But that will only start after the Report in a few days. I suggest helping your maids with designs for your dresses immediately so they will be ready on time."

A shrill, high pitched shriek was heard from the dining room. A lot of us had to stifle our giggles, including me. It was obviously Molly.

"Well, sounds like it's going well so far," Prince Wyatt joked. We laughed.

"Hopefully this won't happen every time," he said as a few more screams were heard.

Prince Logan walked into the room, looking a little flustered. His face was pretty red.

"I'm sure you've heard already, you have made it past first elimination. The other three girls will be waiting in the Women's Room to say goodbye."

The royals said goodbye and left. We walked down the maze of hallways to the Women's Room.

"It was you guys! You sabotaged me!" Molly cried. She had a crazy look in her eye as she pounced on the nearest girl, which unfortunately happened to be Lane. Luckily, Lane was strong, as she pushed Molly off of her and held her arms together. A maid scurried into the room.

"Sorry to disturb, but is everything okay? It seems a bit loud in here."

"Would you mind getting the King, Queen, and Prince Logan? Also bring in a few guards, we have a slight problem here," Piper said. The maid nodded and curtsied quickly before running out of the room.

Less than a minute later, everyone Piper had requested was in the Women's Room. I was pretty impressed. With a castle this size, I found it nearly impossible to get everyone here so quickly.

The guards hurried over to Lane, who was now struggling and looking exhausted. Lane dropped Molly's hands and ran over to the rest of us, slightly red. Two of the guards pulled a kicking Molly off of the ground and hoisted her up. Each one took a hand and led her out of the room.

"We're very sorry for that," Prince Logan said. "Hopefully that won't happen again. She will be leaving immediately. Feel free to say goodbye to Eleanor and Olivia before you leave." The three royals turned around and walked out of the room.

Most of us rushed over to Olivia, all except Steph. We all hugged her. It was amazing how close we had become in the last three days. We went upstairs to our rooms and went to bed, feeling very relieved.

 **Hey guys! I just posted the poll for the next elimination. I will do my best to follow your guys's opinions, but I will keep some girls that play a role later on or girls that are different.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited! Shout out to** .just. **, who is always my first reviewer.**

 **~Demigod18**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 18**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Stella Phoebe Eurena

I had been up for the last three hours helping my maids come up with a dress. It was going to be great. We had decided on a lilac color, with gold lining. It was a knee length chiffon dress and had spaghetti straps.

"I love it!" I exclaimed as Rosalie finished the sketch. I hugged her and Caia before they left the room with Isabelle to start sewing it. I was already in a day dress because of breakfast, so I went down to the Women's Room.

I immediately found my group of friends, which consisted of Lena, Kenzie, Ash, Ara, Meda, and Lily.

"Hey guys," I waved and sat down.

"Hey Stells," Lena replied. "How's the dress coming along?"

"Great, they're working on it now. I feel like they actually get what I like." The girls nodded in agreement.

"How're your dresses doing?" I asked them.

"Pretty well," Ash said. "I feel kind of bad for my maids though. I can't imagine how tired they must be of sewing."

Ara nodded. "I agree. I would've cut my fingers at least a hundred times by now."

Everly walked over to us. "Do you guys wanna go to the pool? We don't have anything to do today."

"Definitely," Lily and Meda responded for all of us. We laughed and rushed upstairs to get our bathing suits on. I put on my green one piece and grabbed a pair of sunglasses. I draped a palm tree covered towel over my arm and raced out the door.

I met Kenzie on the stairs. She was looking really happy, and humming to herself.

"Hey Kenz. What happened?"

"It turns out the first check I sent back home is already helping with Evan's surgery. He'll be able to talk in no time."

"That's great!" I gave Kenzie a hug. "You'll have to introduce me to him sometime. I'd love to meet him."

"I'm sure he would like to meet you. He's always been pretty excited about meeting other people. He just doesn't that often."

Kenzie and I walked outside into the breeze. It was relatively cool outside, but it was November after all. Unfortunately, it never snowed in Angeles. Luckily the pool water was warmed up, instead of being closed like most pools were.

We set our stuff down on chairs and were the first ones to jump into the water. I jumped off of the diving board and did a flip, hitting the water with a splash. I heard some applause from a few of the girls.

"Get in the water, it feels great!" I said to them. They nodded and jumped in after me.

After a long game of Marco Polo, water basketball, and diving competitions, our skin was really wrinkly. We got out of the pool and dried off before going back inside. I ran up the stairs with Kenzie and Meda and went into my bedroom.

"Stells, what do you think?" Rosalie held up a dress.

"It's perfect."

Circe Alessandra Michaelides

I put on my pale pink Greek chiffon long dress that was outlined in gold. After a few hours of playing in the pool, I was a little tired.

I settled on the bed with my sketchbook as my maids worked on the dress for the Report. I had a beautiful view of the gardens, so I decided to sketch that. I slowly sketched the beautiful flowers and plants, as well as the butterflies and rabbits. I was unaware of the time that was slipping by. It wasn't long before I heard a knock.

"Come in!" I shouted. Cara, or West, walked in and sat down next to me.

"That's amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," I blushed.

"Really, you have serious talent. We should write a book one day. I write, you draw."

"I love that idea!" I replied. It really was pretty smart. West was a great writer, and we got along so well together.

"Do you want to head downstairs? A lot of the girls are down there."

I nodded and put my sketchbook away. West and I walked through the hallways before hearing a voice.

"Erik, do you think it's working?" The voice of Queen Eadlyn said. West signaled me to stop and put a finger over her lips.

"Definitely, but I feel it's not going to last too long. Nothing will ever calm them down."

"You're right, but what can we do?"

"Hopefully Logan will be able to dissolve the castes again. God knows I wanted to keep it that way, but an attack every day was too much, especially when Jessica was only 4. It's a good thing they don't remember it."

West's eyes widened in surprise. I gave her a confused look, but she waved it off and mouthed "I'll explain later."

"I hope Logan can put up with this. How long do you think we have left?"

"I don't know," the King said sadly. "I hope a while still. Logan can't be forced to take over this early. He needs at least another five years. He will make a great king though."

"But what about Mom and Dad? They took over when Dad was nineteen."

"That was in a special case though. Hopefully the same thing won't happen to Logan."

"Anyways, the case is being solved currently, the rebels should calm down a little soon. And I believe we have people working on finding the-"

"Eadlyn, I think there's someone outside."

"It's probably just a guard."

"Still, we need to speak quieter."

Our eyes widened simultaneously, and we took off running, careful not to make too much noise. We dashed up the stairs and into West's bedroom, nearly knocking over a maid carrying a large basket of laundry.

We collapsed onto the bed in a fit of giggles, feeling exhilarated from our close escape.

Samantha Paige Reynolds

"Wake up," someone said and shook my shoulder. I groaned and pressed my ear onto the bed.

"Seriously Sammie. Wake up. It's only 4:00."

I groaned again and turned onto my back, annoyed with whoever was at my bed.

"Krys, why'd you have to wake me up?" I moaned after recognizing Krys.

"Cause its not even mildly dark outside yet. How'd you fall asleep anyways?"

"I don't know. It's too early for me to think."

"It's four o'clock!" Krys practically shouted before trying to drag me off the bed.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up. What do you want?" I asked, shooting her my death glare.

"Apparently, West and Circe heard some information from the King and Queen, and we're all waiting for you so they can tell us."

"Wait, really?" I asked, jumping out of bed and smoothing down my hair.

"Yes, really," Krys rolled her eyes. I quickly fixed my appearance and ran down the stairs with Krys.

We rushed into the Women's Room to find 30 annoyed glares.

"What took you so long?" Riley asked.

"Genius over here thought it was morning. It took a long time to get her up," Krys pointed at me as we took our seats.

"Well, now that Sammie's finally here, can you tell us what happened?" Jenni asked.

"Okay, so Circe and I were walking over here, but we heard King Erik and Queen Eadlyn talking. Naturally, we decided to eavesdrop."

"You decided to eavesdrop," Circe corrected.

"Whatever, anyways, they were talking about rebel activity. I think they did something to suppress it, because Queen Eadlyn asked if it was working."

"What's 'it'"? Sara asked.

"How should I know? Anyway, King Erik said that they'll never be able to stop the rebels."

"That's true," Carolina piped in. "We've been having rebel attacks as long as anyone can remember." Murmurs of agreement spread throughout the room.

"So King Erik said he hoped Logan would dissolve the caste system."

"Wait, but didn't he and the queen put it back in place after America and Maxon gave up the throne?"

"Yeah, he says he never wanted to get rid of it, but he had to. Apparently they had rebel attacks every day," West said.

"I never heard that," Caspian said.

"I don't think anyone has. It would be bad publicity for the royals, and that might just encourage the rebels more," Ara pointed out. Everyone seemed to agree with her.

"Then Queen Eadlyn said they were working on finding something, but we never heard because they realized someone was outside."

Questions filled the room. "What do you think it is?"

"How did they lose it?"

"Do you think the rebels stole it?" I was pretty shocked. I didn't know there was something going on. Then again, I never knew much about the palace, and there was probably a lot more that I would find out.

Silena Morgan Parker

"Hey Lena," Ara said.

"Hey, check out this magazine I found. Apparently there's an article about the Selection inside," I replied, holding up a copy of Illèa Weekly. Ara and I sat down and I flipped open the cover.

"Page 44," I said to myself, flipping to the right page.

Hello Illèa! With the new Selection happening, everyone is curious as to who will be Prince Logan's new wife. Here are our top 10 picks for the winner.

 _10\. Lady Cara_

 _Lady Cara, or West, as she prefers to be called, is an amazing author. She has written over 20 mystery books, and is currently working on two more. Besides her amazing career and great connections, she has a wonderful personality. She has a great sense of humor and extremely creative. She is not afraid to stand up for herself. Additionally, she is very book smart and linguistic. Overall, West's passion for fairness will make her a great queen._

 _9\. Lady Circe_

 _As a despotess of Greece, Circe would be a great ruler. She is already used to royalty, which just adds to her beauty and personality. She is very graceful and respectful, but will not back down to a fight or be unfair. Circe is charming, charismatic, dedicated, compassionate, elegant, appreciative, honest, and most importantly, courageous._

 _8\. Lady Carolina_

 _This photographer is incredibly sweet and has a good heart. She is not your typical fiery redhead. In fact, she is quite the opposite. She is often overlooked by people, especially since she has a big family. Carolina is very generous and caring, especially towards her family. As a five, she is very artistic and creative. She carries her camera everywhere, but unfortunately her maids won't always let her during the Selection._

 _7\. Lady Avery_

 _Although she is a seven and may not seem like it, Avery is really quite graceful and respectful. She is very grateful for the nice things people have done for her, and even after only a few days, we have seen her lighten up a little. She has a great sense of humor, but it is a little weird. Avery is definitely considered quick-witted and can easily come up with a good comeback on the spot. She believes that women can do anything men can do, and she is right. The fact she finds it hard to hold back her thoughts is actually a good quality, and hopefully she will use it to make Illèa a better country._

 _6\. Lady Nala-Rose_

 _As the only eight in the competition, it may seem like Nala has a disadvantage. But her beauty and personality definitely make up for that. Nala is definitely tough, since she was forced to grow up at a young age. She is very sweet and extremely creative. She is definitely not afraid to stand up for herself or others, especially her mother. Although she lacks in book smarts, she definitely makes up for it in street smarts._

 _5\. Lady Almeda_

 _Meda is a hardworking, kind person with a strong sense of morals. Her head is definitely screwed tightly onto her shoulders. She is also responsible, diligent, and dedicated, and probably too kind and naïve for her own good. Meda likes to believe that everyone in the world is good and pure._

 _4\. Lady Mackenzie_

 _Kenzie may seem like your typical girl next door, but she is much more than that. The baker is sweet and kind to everyone and has a great heart. She is always trying to do the right thing and enjoys helping others. She is very generous, but also kind and naïve. She is always a happy person. For her whole life, Kenzie has been trying to pay for surgery for her mute brother. She cares about nothing more than her family. Her cheerful nature is contagious and will make people smile._

 _3\. Lady Stella_

 _As an assistant teacher and soccer coach, Stella is great with kids, but also with people in general. She is intelligent, sweet, kind, smart, and not afraid to speak the truth. She is also bright and energetic, a perfect quality for a ruler. Everyone loves Stella's kindness and energy, leading us to believe the childlike, astronomy loving girl would be a great queen._

 _2\. Lady Silena_

 _This horse lover's personality would lead Lena to be a great queen. She has a very kind heart and a huge soft spot for the ones she loves, including animals. Lena is definitely a free spirit and loves being outdoors. She is also generous, outgoing, and very funny._

 _1\. Lady Aralynn_

 _Last but not least, we have Ara. With her connections as a model, Ara could definitely improve the country. She is pretty smart, loyal, and is very outgoing. She loves to meet people and is not afraid to speak up. Ara is very experienced at being respectful, graceful, and has several personality traits we need in a queen._

I was surprised I had made it to the top 10. I had never expected it.

I pointed to Ara's name next to the number one and showed it to her.

"Ugh," she groaned and flipped her head back. "At least Mom will be happy."

I had already heard Ara's story, and I felt terrible for her. If it were me, I would have gotten on a horse years ago and rode to the other side of the country. I patted her on the back and smiled empathetically.

"I'm sorry," I said. "At least you'll be here with us."

Ara smiled back. "You wanna go horseback riding? Maybe I can practice taking pictures of the garden."

"Do I seriously need to tell you the answer?" I replied, raising my eyebrows at her. She laughed and we rushed upstairs to get changed.

 **Hello again :) Double update!**

 **This is the last introductory chapter, since the last four characters are either made by me or friends of mine.**

 **Sorry about this chapter. It isn't the best, but I really wanted to get the introductions over with so I can start the Selection.**

 **~Demigod18**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 19**

 **I do not own the Selection**

 **Logan's POV**

I was woken up at the crack of dawn by my two most annoying siblings jumping on my bed, Wyatt and Belle.

They screamed and giggled and wouldn't give up until I threw a pillow at them and locked myself in the bathroom. Even then, I could still hear them pounding on the door.

When I was sure the coast was clear, I went back out and locked the door before going back into bed. Unfortunately, I couldn't fall asleep again so I just stared up at the ceiling for about half an hour.

The Report last night was very successful. Although almost all the girls seemed nervous, they all did well on their interviews and no one passed out or couldn't speak.

I finally got out of bed and changed before going downstairs for breakfast. None of the girls were there yet, so it was pretty quiet, except for Belle and Aaron. I ate pretty quickly, wanting to go back upstairs.

Before I left, Dad pulled me aside. "Son, you have two weeks to get through a date with every girl. I suggest you start now."

I nodded and smiled and started to walk out of the room. "I hope you know that your mom and I are very proud of you."

I hugged him and Mom. "Thanks dad." I raced up the stairs and started planning my first date.

 **Lady Lena**

Right before I was going down to the Women's Room, I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find none other than Prince Logan.

"Oh, Hi Logan, I wasn't expecting you here," I said, a little surprised.

"I was wondering if you would like to go horseback riding," he said.

"Like, on a date?" I asked.

"Yeah, I mean unless you don't want to."

"No, of course I want to. I'm just surprised you asked me on the first date. Let me just change first, I can't ride in a ballgown." He nodded and I rushed into the bathroom. I changed into the set of riding clothes I brought with me to the palace and joined him back in the hall.

He took my hand and we walked in silence to the stables. He saddled Thunderbolt.

"Which one should I ride?" I asked. He thought about it for a minute.

"Try Paintball, she likes to go fast," Logan pointed to a tan and white paint horse. I nodded and jumped onto her back after leading her outside.

"Don't you want a saddle?" Logan asked. I shook my head. He shrugged and got onto Thunderbolt's back.

I resisted my urge to just gallop away and slowed down.

"So Lena, how are you today?" Logan asked.

"I'm great, especially now that I'm on a horse," Logan laughed. "How are you?"

"Pretty good, dating all 32 of you at once is stressful," I smiled understandingly.

After a couple more minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. "I challenge you to a race."

Logan looked surprised. "You're on. To the strawberry fields." I nodded. "3...2...1...GO!" Logan counted down and we took off. I galloped away, letting the cool breeze blow against me. Everything around me blurred, but I quickly realized I was way ahead of Logan. I smiled triumphantly.

I found the strawberry field and stopped. I rode in circles for a while until Logan showed up.

"Geez, you're fast," Logan panted.

"Why thank you," I mock bowed and smiled. We talked a little more as we rode back to the stables. We put the horses back in the stables and walked over to the fountain. A red checkered picnic blanket and basket was waiting for us.

The picnic was great. We talked and got to know each other a lot better. Logan dropped me off at my room and kissed my hand before leaving.

 **Lady Stella**

"Lady Stella, a note has been delivered for you," a maid came up to me in the Women's Room and curtsied.

"Thank you," I smiled at her. She smiled back and left.

 _Lady Stella,_

 _Please join me on the soccer field at 11:00 am for a game of soccer._

 _-Logan_

I could barely contain my happiness. I showed the note to Ara, who smiled and hugged me before pushing me out the door. I ignored the evil eye I got from Steph, and ran up to my room.

"What is it Stella?" Caia dropped her duster and ran over to me with a panicked look on her face.

I laughed. "Nothing to worry about. He asked me on a date!"

"That's amazing!" Rosalie and Caia embraced me in a bear hug. I showed them the note.

"I don't have to wear a dress, since we're playing soccer, right?" I asked hopefully.

"No," Caia replied. I practically jumped for joy. Rosalie quickly did my hair in a braided ponytail.

I grabbed a neon green and pink pair of athletic shorts and a shirt from the daycare I worked at. I laced on my sneakers and jogged down the stairs to the soccer field.

Logan was already waiting for me outside. He was juggling the ball with his feet and didn't seem to notice me. I quietly walked closer and stuck my foot out to catch the ball. It worked and I juggled it while he looked at me in surprise.

"Hello Logan," I greeted.

"Hey Stella, I didn't notice you there," he blushed. I smiled.

"Should we get started?" He asked. I nodded. "Whoever gets 10 first wins."

We started the game. I quickly scored the first goal, and smiled triumphantly. Unfortunately, he took that as an opportunity to steal the ball and score. After a while, we were still tied 9-9. I was probably really sweaty and my shirt was covered in dirt, but I was having so much fun.

Logan was in possession of the ball. He dribbled over to the goal but I quickly stole it and kicked it as far as I could. It somehow managed to land in the opposite goal. I cheered happily and we went to sit down on a bench.

"You know I let you win, right?" Logan said.

"In your dreams," I giggled and punched him playfully on the shoulder. He smiled and we leaned back, trying to catch our breaths.

"Good game," I said as we both sat up. We shook hands.

"We should probably go back now," he said. We stood up and he took my hand before we walked back to my room.

 **Lady Kenzie**

Right before dinner, someone knocked on my door. It was Prince Logan.

"Hi Logan," I said.

"Hey Kenzie, would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Logan asked.

"I'd love to," I smiled. Luckily, I was already in my dinner clothes. He led me down the hallways to a staircase.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." He covered my eyes and led me up the staircase. All of a sudden, I felt a cool breeze. Now I was really confused, but I thought we were probably on a balcony.

Logan took his hands off my eyes. I gasped. We were on the roof of the palace. A candlelit dinner was laying in front of me, with a blanket lying on the side. A feast lay on the table.

"This is beautiful," I said sincerely.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied. Logan led me to a chair and pulled it out for me to sit on.

"Such a gentleman," I joked.

"Well, I am trained to be the next king," he sat down across from me.

We started eating the food, which tasted even better than normal, if that was possible.

"How's Evan doing?" Logan asked.

"Great actually, we almost have enough money to pay for the surgery."

"That's great. Maybe I can meet him sometime."

"I think he would love that. I can imagine him with a crown on," I laughed.

We spent the whole time laughing and talking together. Dinner was great. Soon, the stars started to come out.

"Look," I said, pointing to the stars. "They're beautiful."

"They are," he agreed. He got up and lay down on the blanket. I followed him and we stared up at the stars

"Orion," I said, pointing to the constellation.

"How do you see that?" Logan asked in amazement. "They all just look like clumps of stars to me. I can't even identify the big dipper."

"I've been practicing," I replied. "By the way, the big dipper is that one."

He shook his head in amazement. We just relaxed on the blanket for a while. When it started to get really dark, we stood up and went down the stairs.

"Thank you so much," I said. "This was amazing."

"No, thank you," Logan said. "I had a great time."

We stopped in front of my door. "Goodnight," I said.

"Goodnight," Logan replied. I turned around to go inside, but his lips on my cheek stopped me. He broke away and walked off, leaving me staring after him, feeling hopelessly in love.

 **Happy late Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it :)**

 **Hey guys! Thanks to everyone for favoriting, following, and/or reviewing!**

 **Please remember vote for who you want to be eliminated. The poll is on my bio. The next elimination should be in a few chapters.**

 **So those were the first few dates, but let me know who you want to see more of so you don't get bored of reading all 32 dates. I'll probably get bored after writing the first 15.**

 **~Demigod18**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 20**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Lady Anissa

"Hello Nissa," Logan stopped me in the middle of the hallway. "I was just looking for you."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I was hoping you would like to go on a date with me. We will be cooking," he said.

"That sounds great!" I said, looking forward to being able to be in a kitchen. I hadn't actually cooked anything in awhile. "Let me just change into something more comfortable," I said, pointing to my fancy day dress. I went back to my room and changed into jeans and a short sleeved shirt. I threw my hair into a quick ponytail so it wouldn't get in my way. I met Logan back outside and he led me down to the kitchen.

The seemingly endless kitchen was bustling with cooks and maids. I didn't even know that many people worked here. Logan must have seen my shocked expression, since he laughed.

"You get used to it," he started. "You should have seen how many were around when the Selection was announced." Logan shook his head and sighed.

"Anyways, what would you like to make?"

"How about Persian food?" I suggested. "I haven't had any in a long time and I can show you how to make some." Logan smiled and nodded.

"Ok, let's start with chicken kebab," I said. "Can you make the rice?" Logan nodded, but I saw the clueless look on his face.

I laughed. "All you do is get a cup of rice from that bag over there," I said, pointing to the bag of rice. "Then you put it on the stove with some water and turn it to 5. The cup measure should be in the cabinet by the sink somewhere. I'll prepare the chicken."

Logan nodded and went over to look for the cup measure. I started working on the chicken, and I had it in the oven in no time. As I started washing some of the dishes, the smell of smoke started to fill the room. I walked over to the stove, where Logan was talking to one of the chefs. All of a sudden, the chef's eyes widened and he pointed frantically towards the stove.

I swiveled my head to find a pot with smoke surrounding it. There was so much, I could barely see the pot. I quickly turned off the heat and slid the pot away from the hot stove. The chefs came over and started to wave the smoke away with dishtowels while some others opened windows.

Logan blushed in embarrassment. "Oops," he grinned sheepishly. "It looks like I forgot to add the water." I smiled and shook my head.

"So you're the future king of the country and you can't figure out how to make rice. I don't know if I can trust you running the country," I joked.

Logan shrugged. "I guess not."

"How about I just make the rest of it?" I said.

"Probably a good idea," he replied. "I don't think Mom and Dad want me burning down the palace." I smiled and he sat down at a small table behind the oven while I got to work. We spent the next hour talking and getting to know each other.

Soon, I was done cooking. I brought the chicken kebab, baghali polo, and vegetable biryani to the table. Logan's eyes widened.

"That looks delicious!" He exclaimed.

"Thanks," I blushed and sat down. I served food on our plates and started eating. He shoveled down the food, but being a prince, it was with a lot of grace.

"This is better than it looks," he remarked. I smiled and thanked him again.

"Dessert?" I asked. He nodded. I brought out kataifi I made, which disappeared quickly.

"This was some of the best food I've ever had," Logan said seriously. "Hopefully I'll actually learn something next time without almost causing a fire." We talked for a little longer before he lead me back to the Women's Room.

"Thank you very much for the food," he said. He kissed my hand and walked down the hallway.

Lady Jenni

"Hello Jenni," Logan bowed in the doorway of my room.

"Good morning, Prince Logan," I curtsied.

"I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me to the labs," Logan said.

"Sure, that sounds great," I smiled. I was wearing comfortable clothes that I brought from home, so I followed Logan down to the labs.

"What do you want to do first?" Logan asked. "I'm pretty clueless when it comes to science."

"Let's start with elephant's toothpaste," I said. "I remember doing this in elementary school."

"Do you think I'm that dumb?" Logan put a hand to his chest and gave me a shocked expression.

"Maybe," I shrugged and smiled.

"Whatever, it sounds cool."

"What color?" I asked. Logan pointed to the red. I poured the hydrogen peroxide in the tube, along with the red food coloring. I added the dish soap.

"You might want to step back a little," I warned. He stepped back and I quickly followed him after pouring in the potassium iodide.

The solution moved up the tube rapidly, before exploding over the top, maintaining its tube shape. It shrunk down around the tube. I turned to Logan to see his reaction.

"That was awesome!" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes, this was so easy compared to what I did normally. "What next?"

"Oh, here's another interesting one," I said. I filled a cup of hot water and found a gallium spoon in a cabinet.

"What's that going to do?" Logan asked.

"You'll see," I smiled and put the spoon in the water. I mixed it around for a minute.

"I don't think it's working," Logan said.

"Just wait." We waited for a few more seconds before the part of the spoon in the water fell from the handle and sank to the bottom. I pulled out the handle and put it on the counter.

"That was pretty cool," he admitted. "Who knew you could do anything with water and a spoon?"

"Me," I said. "Do you want Dippin' Dots?"

Logan shot me a confused look. "You've never had Dippin' Dots?" I exclaimed. "You're missing out. We're going to have some right now."

"I don't think the staff can make that," Logan said, still looking confused.

"But I can," I said.

"In a lab?" Logan asked. I nodded and started to pull ingredients from the cabinets.

"Go and get your favorite ice cream flavors from the kitchen. You'll also need whipped cream, half and half, vanilla extract, sugar, and chocolate syrup," I told him. He nodded and walked out of the room.

I pulled out the liquid nitrogen and put on gloves in case some of it got on me. I took out a pair for Logan. I also got out a large metal bowl and a wooden spoon.

Logan came back with a bag full of ingredients. He took out the cookie dough and peanut butter ice cream and put the other ingredients on the counter. I told him to put on the gloves, which he hastily agreed to after I told him what could happen if he touched the liquid nitrogen.

I put the ice cream in the bowl and warmed it up for a minute to melt it.

"Ok, when I tell you to, use the spoon to stir the ice cream and liquid nitrogen," I told Logan. He nodded and picked up the spoon.

I drizzled the melted ice cream onto the liquid nitrogen. "Now," I told Logan. He picked up the spoon and stirred it around. I continued adding the ice cream until there was none left.

"Woah, it's ice cream but in dots! That's so cool!" Logan said. We sat down, letting the ice cream return to regular freezing temperature.

"Ok, we can eat it now," I said, scooping some of the Dippin' Dots into my bowl. Logan followed me and we sat down on one of the benches to eat.

"It's even better than ice cream," Logan commented. I nodded in agreement.

We spent the next half an hour throwing our ice cream at each other. Logan led me back up to my room and left after bowing.

 **Hey guys! Thanks to** .just. **,** jenhen48 **,** wolfofstark **,** the-only-soldier-left **, and** thewanderlustmarauder **for reviewing!**

 **Please vote on the poll if you haven't yet. The next elimination should be in two chapters. Next chapter will be West and Chanda's dates.**

 **Sorry for the really long update time. I've been working on my other Selection SYOC story, and I haven't had much internet access in the last couple of weeks.**

 **Happy New Year!**  
 **~Demigod18**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hoping for Love**

 **Chapter 21**

 **I do not own the Selection**

 **Lady West**

I sighed and put my pencil down. My hand ached from writing for so long. I rubbed my hand. I heard a knock at the door, and I got up to open it.

"Hello Lady West," Prince Logan smiled. He bowed. "I was wondering if you would like to join me for a movie?"

I was shocked. "Of course," I smiled. "Let me change first."

"What you're wearing is fine," Logan replied. I looked down at what I was wearing. I was wearing a floor length, strapless dress that started out white but faded into red towards the bottom. I had on silver flats and the same key necklace I always wore. I had on little makeup, and my blonde hair was thrown up into a messy bun.

I shrugged, "Okay." Logan led me down the stairs and past the room set up for the Report.

The movie theatre was huge, with a flat screen TV and red velvet seats. A large popcorn machine was in the corner, which was already filled with popcorn.

"Where would you like to sit?" Logan politely asked, after grabbing two large bags of popcorn. I led him to the back of the room, where we could see the entire screen without craning our neck up for the entire movie.

"Good choice," Logan smiled, as we sat down with our popcorn. "Now what would you like to watch?"

Logan spread out the DVD's. I picked Forrest Gump, a movie I saw a long time ago with my brother

"Oh that's one of my favorites!" Logan exclaimed, his blue eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Me too," I smiled. Logan put in the DVD and the movie started.

About an hour into the movie, I felt something hit me in my lap. I looked down to see a kernel of popcorn.

"It was an accident," Logan said after I glared at him.

"Really?" I asked, throwing a piece of popcorn at his face. He looked at me, his face filled with hurt. I knew he was pretending.

"Oh come on," I rolled my eyes and threw another piece at him. Logan grabbed a handful and threw it back at me. It quickly escalated into a food fight. Flashes of yellow passed before my eyes. We laughed as we threw pieces of popcorn at each other. We completely forgot about the movie.

Finally we were out of popcorn. The movie had already ended without us even realizing it. We leaned back in our seats.

"Well that was fun," Logan said, as we glanced around the room. The floor and the seats were covered with the yellow kernels.

"It was," I agreed. "We should do it again." Logan laughed.

"Well, it's pretty late now, we should probably go back," Logan said.

"What about all of this?" I asked, indicating the mess we had created.

"I'll get someone to clean it up," Logan replied. He took my hand and led me back to my room.

"Thank you, I had a lot of fun," I said as we arrived at my door.

"It was my pleasure," Logan bent down to kiss my hands. I blushed. "Good night," he said.

"Good night," I replied and opened my door. I quickly changed into my pajamas and slid into bed, thinking about the best date I ever had.

 **Lady Chanda**

"1...2...3...War!" Circe and I slapped our cards down on the table. I smiled, and took all the cards.

"Oh come on," Circe groaned. "I was winning just a minute ago." I laughed in return.

Just then, a maid walked over to me and curtsied. She handed me a cream colored letter with the palace logo in gold on top. "Thank you," I smiled and took the letter, wondering what it could be for. I opened the letter, careful not to rip the crisp envelope. I took out the not.

 _Lady Chanda,_

 _Your presence is requested in the gardens at 3:00 pm._

 _See you soon,_

 _Logan_

Circe, who was reading over my shoulder, squealed, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "You're going on a date with the prince," she said in a sing song voice. "Aren't you excited?"

"I guess so," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't really know him at all though."

"Well, now's your chance," Circe replied. "Now go, it's already past 2." I checked the clock before getting up and leaving the room.

"Have fun," Circe called from behind me. I looked back and smiled.

After navigating through the endless corridors, I finally made my way to my room and opened the door. All three of my maids were there, polishing the already spotless room.

"What's up?" Meera, my head maid asked. We had become best friends since we met each other. I handed her the letter.

"Finally!" Meera exclaimed. She dropped the letter and started to panic. "We don't have much time left. We have to get moving!"

After half an hour, I was finally ready. Although I typically wore Pakistani clothing, I agreed to let my maids put me in a dress. I felt slightly uncomfortable. The dress was a deep red color, and floor length. The sleeves went a little past my elbows. I had to admit, it was a nice dress. I had on minimal makeup, and gold heels. Around my neck was my grandmother's locket, which I wore every day.

"You look so pretty!" Meera squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. I smiled at her.

"Thank you so much," I went over to hug them.

"Now go, have fun," Vidya said. I nodded and set off towards the garden.

Logan was sitting on the edge of a fountain, wearing a gray suit. I sat next to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

He jumped and turned around to look at me before smiling. "You look great," he said.

I blushed, "Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself. Although do you ever wear anything besides suits?"

"I wish," he sighed. "By order of the King, I have to." I gave him a sympathetic glance.

"So what would you like to do?" He asked.

I thought about it for a moment, "How about we cook something?"

Logan's eyes grew panicked. "Uh uh, no way. I suck at cooking."

I laughed, "All the more reason to try."

Logan sighed, "Okay, fine. This is what I get for letting you choose."

I smiled, "Let's go then."

"Okay, but there's one catch," Logan grinned mischievously. "What are you bad at?"

"Dancing," I said, the word flowing out of my mouth before I could stop it. I groaned inwardly.

"Okay then, after we cook something, I am going to teach you how to dance."

"Not happening," I replied. I really was terrible at dancing.

"Well then, no deal," Logan smiled victoriously.

"Alright, I changed my mind, I'll do it," I said.

"Sounds good, race you to the kitchen!" Logan said as he took off running. I followed behind him, desperate to beat him.

When I arrived at the kitchen, Logan was already there, drinking a glass of water.

"That...was...completely...unfair," I complained, taking deep breaths in between the words. "I'm wearing heels, you're not."

"I still beat you by 2 minutes though," Logan said.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes. "What do you want to make?"

"Chocolate cake," Logan replied. "That sounds easy enough."

"Okay," I agreed, looking forward to seeing how bad Logan was at cooking. "You start with the frosting, and I'll make the cake batter. Let me find a recipe." I searched through the cabinets.

I handed Logan the frosting recipe and set to work on the batter. I was just adding the eggs when I heard the sound of the mixer. I turned around to see how Logan was doing and my jaw dropped.

Chocolate frosting was everywhere, on the walls, the cabinets, the counter, and on Logan himself.

"What are you doing?!" I exclaimed and rushed over to him. He turned around, and I sighed.

He was covered in flour, and part of an egg yolk was dripping down his face. He had chocolate frosting all over him.

"How did you manage this?" I asked. "I don't think I could do this even if I tried."

"It wasn't that hard really," Logan grinned.

"How does it taste?" I asked. He shrugged. I grabbed a spoon for one of the many drawers and scooped up the remaining frosting from the mixer. I hid my disgusted face. The texture was all wrong. There was way too much baking powder and I think there was an eggshell in the mix.

"Not bad for your first try," I said unconvincingly.

"See, I told you I was bad at this," Logan wiped some flour off of his eyelid.

"You were right," I agreed.

"How about we go to the ballroom?" Logan offered.

"Okay, but wipe some of that frosting off first," I told him.

10 minutes later, we were in the enormous ballroom. Logan still had some flour in his hair, and his shirt was stained with chocolate frosting.

"Well this is much easier than cooking," Logan said, turning on the music. "Just do what I do."

Logan started dancing. He really was good. His feet moved really fast, and I couldn't even keep track of what he was doing. He finished, his face slightly red.

"Now you try," He said. I tried to replicate what Logan did but I only accomplished stepping on his foot and running into the wall several times.

Logan tried to hide his smirk, but failed. "Now you know how it feels," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"I think I've had enough for one day," I replied, eager to end the dancing lesson.

"In that case, allow me to escort you back to your bedchamber," Logan said with a terrible British accent. I giggled and took his hand, before curtsying.

"Here you are milady," Logan said in his British accent. I smiled.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome," Logan smiled and walked away.

I went to the balcony outside of my room. The view was truly amazing. I leaned over the balcony, gazing at the flowers. I lost my balance and flew over the railing. I tried to call for help but nothing came out. I landed on the pavement with a loud crack. My vision went black.

 **Hey guys! I'm finally back! I'm so sorry for the really long wait. I have been really busy for a while but school is over, so I finally have time to write. Hopefully now I will be updating a lot more frequently.**

 **Thanks to** morethanjustastory **,** Hofund **, and** wolfofstark **for reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

 **Love,**

 **Demigod18**


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